Sample records for previously reported electron

Currently very popular in the market of tobacco products have gained electronic cigarettes (ang. E-cigarettes). These products are considered to be potentially less harmful in compared to traditional tobacco products. However, current reports indicate that the statements of the producers regarding to the composition of the e- liquids not always are sufficient, and consumers often do not have reliable information on the quality of the product used by them. This paper contain a review of previousreports on the composition of e-cigarettes and their impact on health. Most of the observed health effects was related to symptoms of the respiratory tract, mouth, throat, neurological complications and sensory organs. Particularly hazardous effects of the e-cigarettes were: pneumonia, congestive heart failure, confusion, convulsions, hypotension, aspiration pneumonia, face second-degree burns, blindness, chest pain and rapid heartbeat. In the literature there is no information relating to passive exposure by the aerosols released during e-cigarette smoking. Furthermore, the information regarding to the use of these products in the long term are not also available.

which has reduced the use and allure of stock options . Another electronics industry official captured this problem saying, “It’s not that the talent...capital gains tax. China reduces its 17% nominal value-added tax to 3% for domestically manufactured semiconductors. China also taxes stock ... options at par value and has no capital gains tax. New fabs in Singapore receive a ten year tax exemption followed by a five year period of reduced tax

The development of prolonged obstructive airways disease after smoke inhalation is of concern to fire victims and fire fighters. Three cases of asthma that developed following the inhalation of pyrolysis products are presented along with a review of previousreports of airway injury from smoke inhalation. Polyvinyl chloride pyrolysis products seem to pose a high risk, but other toxic inhalants are also implicated. There is substantial evidence that prolonged airway hyper-responsiveness and asthma may follow numerous inflammatory insults including smoke inhalation. Studies to identify specific individual risk factors and asthmagenic pyrolysis products are needed. Early, postexposure anti-inflammatory treatment may modify the outcome. 42 refs.

This report summarizes the activities in the Electronics Department in 1984. These include work under the headings of informatics, applied laser physics, nuclear geophysics, instrumentation and measuring techniques, and instrumentation consulting, registration and maintenance for the Danish...

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The VERS system is composed of a database and other related applications which facilitate the reporting of electronically collected research data via Fisheries...

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is a medical condition which was identified for the first time in 2004 and affects chronic users of cannabis. It is characterized by cyclic episodes of uncontrollable vomiting as well as compulsive bathing in hot water. The episodes have a duration of two to four days. The vomiting is recognizable by a lack of response to regular antiemetic treatment, and subsides only with cannabis abstinence, reappearing in periods of consumption of this substance. The etiology of this syndrome is unknown. Up until June 2014, 83 cases of CHS were published worldwide, four of them in Spain.The first patient of CHS at Mataró Hospital was diagnosed in 2012. Since then, five new cases have been identified. The average duration between the onset of acute CHS episodes and diagnosis is 6.1 years, similar to that observed in previously published cases, an average of 3.1 years. This "delay" of CHS diagnosis demonstrates a lack of awareness with respect to this medical condition in the healthcare profession.With the objective of providing information concerning CHS and facilitating its timely diagnosis, a series of six new cases of CHS diagnosed in Mataró Hospital is presented along with a summary of cases published between 2004 and June 2014.

Fifteen patients with metastatic breast cancer previously treated with chemotherapy were treated with a regimen consisting of vincristine, Adriamycin, and mitomycin. Eleven patients (73%) responded with three complete and eight partial responses. The median duration of response was eight months. While all four nonresponders died within five months, the median duration of survival of responders was 18 months. Toxicity was significant but tolerable. Thus, this preliminary report suggests that this regimen is active in advanced previously treated breast cancer, providing meaningful remissions with acceptable toxicity.

The issue pertaining to the effect of multiple self-reported sports-related concussions on cognitive function is controversial. Although this topic has received increased attention in the literature recently, the issue remains unresolved. Evidence supporting a detrimental cognitive effect has been reported at a sub-concussive level and following one, two, and three or more previous concussions. However, numerous studies have been unable to replicate these findings. Additionally, discrepancies between neuropsychological testing formats have been identified, where studies utilizing traditional tests tend to support the notion of detrimental cognitive effects whereas studies with computerized tests have tended to demonstrate no effect. The present study sought to examine possible detrimental cognitive effects in a sample of adult male rugby union players who reported a history of three or more concussions (n = 34) compared with those who reported no previous concussions (n = 39). A computerized neuropsychological battery and a traditional neuropsychological measure of processing speed were administered for this purpose. Findings revealed that there were differences between groups on two processing speed measures from both traditional and computerized tests. Athletes with a history of multiple concussions performed significantly lower on these measures than those with no history of concussion. These results provide further evidence to suggest that a history of three or more self-reported concussions in active athletes may have a detrimental effect on cognitive function. Future research may focus on identifying moderating factors in an attempt to resolve some of the conflicting findings and identify potential athletes at risk for sustaining cognitive deficits.

The contribution of genetics to stroke risk, and whether this differs for different stroke subtypes, remainsuncertain. Genomewide complex trait analysis allows heritability to be assessed from genomewide association study (GWAS) data. Previous candidate gene studies have identified many associations with stoke but whether these are important requires replication in large independent data sets. GWAS data sets provide a powerful resource to perform replication studies. We applied genomewide complex trait analysis to a GWAS data set of 3752 ischemic strokes and 5972 controls and determined heritability for all ischemic stroke and the most common subtypes: large-vessel disease, small-vessel disease, and cardioembolic stroke. By systematic review we identified previous candidate gene and GWAS associations with stroke and previous GWAS associations with related cardiovascular phenotypes (myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, and carotid intima-media thickness). Fifty associations were identified. For all ischemic stroke, heritability was 37.9%. Heritability varied markedly by stroke subtype being 40.3% for large-vessel disease and 32.6% for cardioembolic but lower for small-vessel disease (16.1%). No previouslyreported candidate gene was significant after rigorous correction for multiple testing. In contrast, 3 loci from related cardiovascular GWAS studies were significant: PHACTR1 in large-vessel disease (P=2.63e(-6)), PITX2 in cardioembolic stroke (P=4.78e(-8)), and ZFHX3 in cardioembolic stroke (P=5.50e(-7)). There is substantial heritability for ischemic stroke, but this varies for different stroke subtypes. Previous candidate gene associations contribute little to this heritability, but GWAS studies in related cardiovascular phenotypes are identifying robust associations. The heritability data, and data from GWAS, suggest detecting additional associations will depend on careful stroke subtyping.

Objective To compare alternative models for the imputation of BMIM (measured weight in kilograms/measured height in meters squared) in a longitudinal study. Methods We used data from 11,008 adults examined at wave III (2001–2002) and wave IV (2007–2008) in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Participants were asked their height and weight before being measured. Equations to predict wave IV BMIM were developed in an 80% random subsample and evaluated in the remaining participants. The validity of models that included BMI constructed from previously measured height and weight (BMIPM) was compared to the validity of models that used BMI calculated from concurrently self-reported height and weight (BMISR). The usefulness of including demographics and perceived weight category in those models was also examined. Results The model that used BMISR, compared to BMIPM, as the only variable produced a larger R2 (0.913 vs. 0.693), a smaller root mean square error (2.07 vs. 3.90 kg/m2) and a lower bias between normal-weight participants and those with obesity (0.98 vs. 4.24 kg/m2). The performance of the model containing BMISR alone was not substantially improved by the addition of demographics, perceived weight category or BMIPM. Conclusions Our work is the first to show that concurrent self-reports of height and weight may be more useful than previously measured height and weight for imputation of missing BMIM when the time interval between measures is relatively long. Other time frames and alternatives to in-person collection of self-reported data need to be examined. PMID:27898706

This is the first reported case of cervical arthroplasty using the Bryan Cervical Disc Prosthesis System (Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Inc., Memphis, TN) in the management of adjacent segment degeneration associated with previous fusion surgery and surgery at the cervicothoracic junction. This case report describes a 25-year-old woman who initially underwent a two-level anterior cervical fusion in 1998, 2 years after being involved in a motor vehicle accident. She was well until 18 months before presentation, when she developed bilateral shoulder pain, mechanical neck pain worse on flexion, and bilateral C8 distribution arm pain and paresthesia. On clinical examination, no focal deficits were found, although the range of motion was reduced. Preoperative cervical spine x-rays and magnetic resonance scanning confirmed accelerated degeneration of the C4-C5 and C7-T1 disc spaces, with evidence of neural compression at those levels. After careful consideration of various treatment options and failure of all conservative measures, the patient underwent an anterior C4-C5 and C7-T1 decompression with removal of the anterior cervical plate and placement of two artificial disc prostheses. After surgery, her course was uncomplicated and she was discharged from hospital well. There was complete resolution of the arm symptoms and reduction of the neck pain, with a reduction in the amount of analgesia she was taking. Seven months after surgery, she remains well with repeat x-rays confirming motion at the operated levels. This case demonstrates that cervical arthroplasty is a reasonable treatment option for patients who have had previous surgery in which interbody fusion has been performed and who have developed degeneration of adjacent levels. Despite the altered biomechanics at the cervicothoracic junction, no adverse features were noted with arthroplasty at this level.

Hundreds of variants in autosomal genes associated with the limb girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs) have been reported as being causative. However, in most cases the proof of pathogenicity derives from their non-occurrence in hundreds of healthy controls and/or from segregation studies in small families. The limited statistics of the genetic variations in the general population may hamper a correct interpretation of the effect of variants on the protein. To clarify the meaning of low-frequency variants in LGMD genes, we have selected all variants described as causative in the Leiden Open Variation Database and the Human Gene Mutation Database. We have systematically searched for their frequency in the NHLBI GO Exome Sequencing Project (ESP) and in our internal database. Surprisingly, the ESP contains about 4% of the variants previously associated with a dominant inheritance and about 9% of those associated with a recessive inheritance. The putative disease alleles are much more frequent than those estimated considering the disease prevalence. In conclusion, we hypothesize that a number of disease-associated variants are non-pathogenic and that other variations are not fully penetrant, even if they affect the protein function, suggesting a more complex genetic mechanisms for such heterogeneous disorders.

Autism is a heterogeneous neuropsychiatric syndrome of unknown etiology. There is evidence that a deficiency in the enzyme adenylosuccinate lyase (ADSL), essential for de novo purine biosynthesis, could be involved in the pathogenesis of certain cases. A point mutation in the ADSL gene, resulting in a predicted serine-to-proline substitution and conferring structural instability to the mutant enzyme, has been reportedpreviously in 3 affected siblings. In order to determine the prevalence of the mutation, we PCR-amplified the exon spanning the site of this mutation from the genomic DNA of patients fulfilling DSM-III-R criteria for autistic disorder. None of the 119 patients tested were found to have this mutation. Furthermore, on preliminary screening using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), no novel mutations were detected in the coding sequence of four ADSL exons, spanning approximately 50% of the cDNA. In light of these findings, it appears that mutations in the ADSL gene represent a distinctly uncommon cause of autism. 12 refs., 2 figs.

Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia type I is a heterogeneous group of spinocerebellar ataxias with variable neurologic presentations, with age of onset varying from infancy to adulthood. Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia type I is composed mainly of 3 prevalent spinocerebellar ataxia types with different pathogenic loci, specifically spinocerebellar ataxia 1 (6p24-p23), spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (12q24.1), and spinocerebellar ataxia 3 (14q32.1). The shared pathogenic mutational event is the expansion of the CAG repeat that results in polyglutamine extended stretches in the encoded proteins. CAG repeat disorders generally show the phenomenon of anticipation, which is more often associated with paternal transmission. In this report, we describe a patient with infantile-onset spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (~320 CAG repeat) who inherited the disease from his father (47 CAG repeats). We have summarized the clinical, neuroimaging, electroencephalographic (EEG), and molecular data of previous cases and attempt to highlight the most consistent findings. Our intent is to help treating clinicians to suspect this disorder and to offer timely genetic counseling for a currently potentially untreatable disorder.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The NOAA/NEFSC Study fleets are a subset of fishing vessels from which high quality, self-reported data on fishing effort, area fished, gear characteristics, catch,...

Knee injuries are common in adolescent female football. Self-reportedprevious knee injury and low Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) are proposed to predict future knee injuries, but evidence regarding this in adolescent female football is scarce. The aim of this study...... was to investigate self-reportedprevious knee injury and low KOOS subscale score as risk factors for future knee injuries in adolescent female football. A sample of 326 adolescent female football players, aged 15–18, without knee injury at baseline, were included. Data on self-reportedprevious knee injury and KOOS...... questionnaires were collected at baseline. Time-loss knee injuries and football exposures were reported weekly by answers to standardized text-message questions, followed by injury telephone interviews. A priori, self-reportedprevious knee injury and low KOOS subscale scores (

Giant prostatic hyperplasia is a rare condition characterized by very high volume benign prostatic enlargement (>500g). Few cases have been reported so far and most of them are associated with severe lower urinary symptoms. We report the first case of asymptomatic giant prostatic hyperplasia in an elderly man who had a 720g prostate adenoma, sudden gross hematuria and hypovolemic shock. The patient was successfully treated with open transvesical prostatectomy and had an uneventful postoperative recovery.

Two sibs with palmo-plantar keratosis and dendritic corneal opacities, previously described as suffering from Richner-Hanhart syndrome by other authors, about 25 years ago, showed increased plasma and urine tyrosine levels. Their neurological and mental features were within normal limits. A comprehensive review of the literature showed a total of 47 cases of fully documented tyrosinemia type II; 8 more patients also had the clinical features of the disease, but aminoacidemia had never been observed. The importance of early diagnosis is stressed, since a low tyrosine-phenylalanine diet dramatically improves the symptoms and may prevent mental retardation.

The radial velocity-discovered exoplanet HD 97658b was recently announced to transit, with a derived planetary radius of 2.93 ± 0.28 R ⊕. As a transiting super-Earth orbiting a bright star, this planet would make an attractive candidate for additional observations, including studies of its...... out transits for a planet with radius larger than 2.09 R ⊕, corresponding to the reported 3σ lower limit. We also report new radial velocity measurements which continue to support the existence of an exoplanet with a period of 9.5 days, and obtain improved orbital parameters....

We describe a rare case of a pancreaticobronchial fistula caused by pancreatic pseudocysts due to previous trauma. A 54-year-old man with a history of traumatic hemothorax was referred to central hospital for investigations due to cough, dyspnea, vertigo and fever. An ultrasound scan and abdominal computed tomography scan showed huge pancreatic pseudocysts around the pancreas extending to the right side of the mediastinum with gas. The etiology for the pseudocysts was unconfirmed. First, the patient recovered with antibiotics and external pseudocyst drainage. After five months the patient started to suffer from respiratory symptoms again, such as coughing with sputum, dyspnea and mild fever. The computer tomography scan confirmed the pancreaticobronchial fistula as a diagnosis and the patient was referred to the university hospital for further treatment.

Salmonella osteomyelitis in children is an uncommon condition, typically associated with hemoglobinopathies or other underlying disorders. Only few cases have been reported in children without predisposing factors. We describe 4 cases of Salmonella osteomyelitis in otherwise healthy children. Since treatment duration is expected to be prolonged, the practice of direct inoculation of aspirates into blood culture bottles appears to be essential for diagnosis and targeted therapy.

Full Text Available The association of Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF 1, an autosomal dominant genetic disease with autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus is rare, five case reports are there in medical literature showing such association. Here we have documented a case of Lupus nephritis associated with Neurofibromatosis 1 diagnosed in the same setting, in a 24 years old female patient presented with oliguria, hypertension, anasarca, cafe-au-lait spots, palmer freckling, subcutaneous nodules, alopecia areata and positive family history for NF 1. [Int J Res Med Sci 2015; 3(5.000: 1277-1280

Full Text Available CONTEXT: Li-Fraumeni syndrome is a rare disease with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern and high penetrance that defines a 50% chance of developing cancer before the age of 30 years, including cases of breast sarcoma. Patients with this syndrome who require radiotherapy have an increased risk of developing secondary malignancies including angiosarcomas. CASE REPORT: This was a case report on a female patient with Li-Fraumeni syndrome. In October 2005, she was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma of the right breast and underwent sectorectomy. She then received chemotherapy and adjuvant radiotherapy. Trastuzumab and tamoxifen were also part of the treatment. She recently sought care at our hospital, complaining of hyperemia and nodulation in the right breast, and underwent surgical resection that revealed epithelioid angiosarcoma. CONCLUSIONS: When genetic predisposition due to Li-Fraumeni syndrome is documented, the therapy should be adapted so as to minimize the risk. Thus, conservative surgical treatments should be avoided and mastectomy without radiation should be prioritized. In cases in which use of radiotherapy is justified, patients should be followed up intensively.

Publishing research can be time consuming, as papers are often submitted and reviewed by multiple journals before final acceptance. We hypothesized that attaching previous peer-review reports to the next submission of the paper to a different journal (possibly with point-to-point responses and amendments) could decrease the workload for both reviewers and editors and could shorten the time from final draft to actual publication. We therefore performed an online survey to assess the views of the editors-in-chief of all 100 general medical journals from the citation impact factor report category "internal & general medicine" (ISI Web of Knowledge). Of contacted editors, 61% responded. One of 4 journals do currently receive peer-review reports on occasion. Editors recognized potential advantages but also concerns on using previous peer-review reports across 3 themes: scientific community, quality of papers, and the publication process. The use of previous peer-review reports has the potential to facilitate authors, reviewers, and editors in optimizing peer review in general medical science.

Full Text Available A case of near-fatal oseltamivir-resistant seasonal influenza A infection in a previously healthy four-year-old boy is reported. This case highlights three important points for physicians: oseltamivir-resistant influenza A (H1N1 has recently emerged in North America; contrary to previously held beliefs, such strains are capable of causing severe disease in healthy children; and given this change in epidemiology, clinicians caring for children with severe seasonal influenza A infection should consider empiric dual therapy with oseltamivir and amantadine.

This recommendation report provides an overview of the selection process for the new Electronic Resources Management System. The library has decided to move away from Innovative Interfaces Millennium ERM module. The library reviewed 3 system as potential replacements namely: Proquest 360 Resource Manager, Ex Libris Alma and Open Source CORAL ERMS. After comparing and trialling the systems, it was decided to go for Proquest 360 Resource Manager.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is the major collector of reliable and comprehensive data on energy supply and demand in this country. During its 16-year history, EIA has tried steadily to reduce the data-collection burden placed on business, industry, and the general public. Four years ago, EIA embarked on the creation of flexible, user-friendly, portable, state-of-the-art tool that would allow those petroleum companies that submit data to EIA to save time and money in the preparation and submission of their forms. This effort was undertaken in cooperation with the petroleum industry and resulted in the development of the Petroleum Electronic Data Reporting Option (PEDRO). Today, more than 20 forms are available for electronic filing. Further, the technology embodied in PEDRO has been adopted by other government agencies in various forms for their individual data collection systems.

We formed the GEnetics of Nephropathy–an International Effort (GENIE) consortium to examine previouslyreported genetic associations with diabetic nephropathy (DN) in type 1 diabetes. GENIE consists of 6,366 similarly ascertained participants of European ancestry with type 1 diabetes, with and without DN, from the All Ireland-Warren 3-Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes U.K. and Republic of Ireland (U.K.-R.O.I.) collection and the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study (FinnDiane), combined with reanalyzed data from the Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes U.S. Study (U.S. GoKinD). We found little evidence for the association of the EPO promoter polymorphism, rs161740, with the combined phenotype of proliferative retinopathy and end-stage renal disease in U.K.-R.O.I. (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, P = 0.19) or FinnDiane (OR 1.06, P = 0.60). However, a fixed-effects meta-analysis that included the previouslyreported cohorts retained a genome-wide significant association with that phenotype (OR 1.31, P = 2 × 10−9). An expanded investigation of the ELMO1 locus and genetic regions reported to be associated with DN in the U.S. GoKinD yielded only nominal statistical significance for these loci. Finally, top candidates identified in a recent meta-analysis failed to reach genome-wide significance. In conclusion, we were unable to replicate most of the previouslyreported genetic associations for DN, and significance for the EPO promoter association was attenuated. PMID:22721967

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Perforations of jejunal diverticula are uncommon and repeated symptomatic perforations have been reported only twice before in the literature. This is the first case report of recurrent perforation of a jejunal diverticulum to be successfully managed non-operatively. Case presentation We report a recurrent perforation of a jejunal diverticulum in an 87-year-old Caucasian man who presented with a 1-week history of epigastric pain. The diagnosis of a perforated jejunal diverticulum was made from the appearances of the abdominal computed tomography scan together with the presence of jejunal diverticula noted at the time of a previous laparotomy for the first perforation of a jejunal diverticulum. Conclusion Whilst this case report by itself does not add to the knowledge we already have of jejunal diverticula, it is one report of a rare condition and more reports are required in the future to establish the recurrence rate of jejunal diverticula perforation and how perforated jejunal diverticula are best managed.

An 86 year old male with a four-day history of nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms was found on colonoscopy to have evidence of sigmoid colon obstruction and possible perforation. Emergent operative exploration revealed diffuse peritonitis, sigmoid perforation, adjacent dense adhesions, and a foreign body protruding through the perforated area. Pathologic examination showed the foreign body to be a sliver of bone consistent with chicken bone and the sigmoid subacute perforation to be associated distally with a circumferential ulcerated obstructing mass, microscopically seen to be transmurally infiltrating adenocarcinoma, signet-ring cell type. There was extensive acute and organizing peritonitis, 100% Escherichia coli was cultured from peritoneal fluid, and the patient died two days postoperatively with sepsis and hypotension. This appears to be the fifth reported case of colonic perforation resulting from foreign body perforation due to previously undiagnosed adenocarcinoma. The four previouslyreported cases were all deeply invasive adenocarcinoma of sigmoid colon, and the foreign bodies included three chicken/poultry bones and a metallic staple. These five cases are highly unusual examples of a potentially lethal malignant neoplasm being clinically revealed by a usually (but not always) innocuous event, the ingestion of a small foreign body.

Full Text Available Abstract An 86 year old male with a four-day history of nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms was found on colonoscopy to have evidence of sigmoid colon obstruction and possible perforation. Emergent operative exploration revealed diffuse peritonitis, sigmoid perforation, adjacent dense adhesions, and a foreign body protruding through the perforated area. Pathologic examination showed the foreign body to be a sliver of bone consistent with chicken bone and the sigmoid subacute perforation to be associated distally with a circumferential ulcerated obstructing mass, microscopically seen to be transmurally infiltrating adenocarcinoma, signet-ring cell type. There was extensive acute and organizing peritonitis, 100% Escherichia coli was cultured from peritoneal fluid, and the patient died two days postoperatively with sepsis and hypotension. This appears to be the fifth reported case of colonic perforation resulting from foreign body perforation due to previously undiagnosed adenocarcinoma. The four previouslyreported cases were all deeply invasive adenocarcinoma of sigmoid colon, and the foreign bodies included three chicken/poultry bones and a metallic staple. These five cases are highly unusual examples of a potentially lethal malignant neoplasm being clinically revealed by a usually (but not always innocuous event, the ingestion of a small foreign body.

To describe the dietary intake patterns of women before and after breast cancer diagnosis. 3,084 women (age range 27 to 70 years) who had been treated for early-stage breast cancer, who were free of recurrent disease, and who were willing to complete study questionnaires. A descriptive analysis of baseline demographic and lifestyle questionnaire data, including reported dietary intake data from women who have had breast cancer participating in a randomized, controlled dietary intervention trial. Outcomes include dietary intakes of high- and low-fat foods, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Analyses included frequency of intake of selected food items, chi2 analysis to determine associations between reported intakes and demographic and personal characteristics, and logistic regression to assess odds of making more healthful changes. Women who have had breast cancer reported higher fruit, vegetable, and fiber-rich food intakes (58%, 60%, 38% more, respectively) and lower intakes of high-fat foods, including fast foods, after diagnosis. Those older than age 60 years were more likely to report no change in intake, including red meat (41%), vegetables (51%), and whole grains (62%). Odds ratios (OR) for more healthful diet choices varied by age and time since diagnosis. The longer the time since diagnosis the more likely women selected low-fat (vs high-fat) foods (OR 1.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16-2.09 for 3 to 4 years vs dietetics professionals may be able to promote healthful and evidence-based eating habits among women previously treated for breast cancer.

This is the Final report on DARPA-sponsored development Program Pad Printer for Electronics DE-FC04-95AL87486 which was initiated in February, 1995 and intended to run 24 months to February 1997. The Program has significant value to the Thick Film processing industry, an electronic manufacturing alternative for producing functional modules integrated at the multichip level. The result is highly reliable, high volumetric efficiency, subassemblies for military applications and for commercial applications in severe environments, such as automotive, portable communications, and bio-implantable devices. The program progressed quite satisfactorily through 19 months, when it encountered severe, non-technical, difficulties. Resolving these difficulties resulted in several months of delay in completing the Program, but resulted in only a trivial increase in total program cost and no increase in cost to the sponsor. The principle Objective of the Program was the development of a printing system -- machine and appropriate inks -- compatible with existing thick-film processing but offering a 5x improvement in line density. This objective has been met. The Pad Printer is capable of printing suitable inks in traces 25 g wide on 50g centers to a fired thickness of 3 {mu}; each of these parameters is roughly 1/5 the value of the current alternative, silk-screen printing. The available inks represent an assortment of conductor, dielectric, and insulator formulations and the knowledge developed permits extending this family of inks to new and diverse functional materials. An important secondary objective was maximum compatibility with existing Thick Film processing; the printer and ink systems may be substituted directly for the silk screen printers in existing processes. The Program reached or exceeded its other Technical Objectives in almost every case and, in those few instances where the objective was only partially met, work continues under private funding.

Full Text Available Doua AlSaad,1,2 Sawsan Alobaidly,3 Palli Abdulrouf,1 Binny Thomas,4,5 Afif Ahmed,1 Moza AlHail1 1Department of Pharmacy, Women’s Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 2Public Health Program, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, UK; 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women’s Hospital, 4Clinical Support Service Unit, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar; 5Pharmacy and Life Sciences Research Institute, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland Background: Misoprostol is an effective medical method for the management of pregnancy loss. However, data on its efficacy and safety in women with previous cesarean deliveries are limited.Case presentation: We report a 36-year-old patient, gravida 11 para 6, with a diagnosis of missed miscarriage at 15 weeks of gestation. The patient had a significant obstetric history of previous five cesarean deliveries and uterine rupture. Following patient counseling about the medical and surgical options of managing her miscarriage, the patient opted for medical method. Low-dose misoprostol of 100 µg was inserted vaginally and repeated again after 6 hours. The patient had an uneventful complete miscarriage following the second dose of misoprostol. No uterine rupture, no extra vaginal bleeding, and no blood transfusion were observed.Conclusion: We conclude that adopting a low-dose misoprostol protocol could be potentially safe and effective in managing second trimester missed miscarriage in women with repeated cesarean deliveries and/or uterine rupture history. Further studies are needed to confirm these results. Keywords: cesarean section, uterine rupture, prostaglandin E1, misoprostol, second trimester, miscarriage, abortion

This report describes the research into advanced liquid cooling, integrated power module cooling, high temperature air cooled power electronics, two-phase cooling for power electronics, and electric motor thermal management by NREL's Power Electronics group in FY13.

We report the measurement of Ag K-shell ionization cross-section by electron impact in the range 50-100 keV and review the experimental data found in the literature. The sample consisted in a thin film of Ag evaporated on a thin C backing. The x-ray spectra generated by electron bombardment in the São Paulo Microtron were observed with a planar HPGe detector. The ratios between characteristic and bremsstrahlung x-ray yields were transformed to ionization cross sections with the help of theoretical atomic-field bremsstrahlung cross sections. The measured cross sections are compared with existing experimental values and calculations based on the semi-relativistic distorted-wave Born approximation. According to our experiment, the ratio of Ag Kβ to Kα x-ray intensities is 0.2018(24).

The case of a 29 year-old man who suffered a cardiac arrest due to a massive pulmonary embolism while he was undergoing surgical repair of a complex tibial plateau fracture is presented. After 70 min of unsuccessful cardiopulmonary resuscitation a bolus of 20 mg tenecteplase was given, with a return of spontaneous circulation 2 min after administration of the drug. Pulmonary embolism was subsequently demonstrated on a pulmonary angiogram. To our knowledge this is the first report to show that the use of a low dose of tenecteplase might be useful to achieve the return of spontaneous circulation in the resuscitation of patients with cardiac arrest secondary to massive pulmonary embolism. Previouslyreported cases are reviewed.

This report summarizes the status of electronic manufacturing and packaging technology in Japan in comparison to that in the United States, and its impact on competition in electronic manufacturing in general. In addition to electronic manufacturing technologies, the report covers technology and manufacturing infrastructure, electronics manufacturing and assembly, quality assurance and reliability in the Japanese electronics industry, and successful product realization strategies. The panel found that Japan leads the United States in almost every electronics packaging technology. Japan clearly has achieved a strategic advantage in electronics production and process technologies. Panel members believe that Japanese competitors could be leading U.S. firms by as much as a decade in some electronics process technologies.

Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody against epidermal growth factor receptor useful in the treatment of patients with Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma combined with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Its pharmacokinetics are not influenced by hepatic status and there are no specific warnings concerning its indication in patients with impaired hepatic function. Patients with a previous liver transplant are at risk for hepatic toxicity and use immunosupressants to avoid rejection that can interact with other drugs. We present two cases of patients with a previous liver transplant in which cetuximab was administered to treat head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE Juvenile GM2 gangliosidosis is a group of inherited neurodegenerative diseases caused by deficiency of lysosomal β-hexosaminidase resulting in GM2 ganglioside accumulation in brain. The purpose of this study was to delineate the natural history of the condition and identify genotype-phenotype correlations that might be helpful in predicting the course of the disease in individual patients. METHODS A cohort of 21 patients with juvenile GM2 gangliosidosis, 15 with the Tay-Sachs variant and 6 with the Sandhoff variant, was studied prospectively in 2 centers. Our experience was compared with previously published reports on 134 patients. Information about clinical features, β-hexosaminidase enzyme activity, and mutation analysis was collected. RESULTS In our cohort of patients, the mean (±SD) age of onset of symptoms was 5.3 ± 4.1 years, with a mean follow-up time of 8.4 years. The most common symptoms at onset were gait disturbances (66.7%), incoordination (52.4%), speech problems (28.6%), and developmental delay (28.6%). The age of onset of gait disturbances was 7.1 ± 5.6 years. The mean time for progression to becoming wheelchair-bound was 6.2 ± 5.5 years. The mean age of onset of speech problems was 7.0 ± 5.6 years, with a mean time of progression to anarthria of 5.6 ± 5.3 years. Muscle wasting (10.6 ± 7.4 years), proximal weakness (11.1 ± 7.7 years), and incontinence of sphincters (14.6 ± 9.7 years) appeared later in the course of the disease. Psychiatric disturbances and neuropathy were more prevalent in patients with the Sandhoff variant than in those with the Tay-Sachs variant. However, dysphagia, sphincter incontinence, and sleep problems occurred earlier in those with the Tay-Sachs variant. Cerebellar atrophy was the most common finding on brain MRI (52.9%). The median survival time among the studied and reviewed patients was 14.5 years. The genotype-phenotype correlation revealed that in patients with the Tay-Sachs variant, the presence

The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Electron Donor Acceptor Interactions was held at Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island, 8/11-16/02. Emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field.

Mucormycosis is an uncommon opportunistic infection and the gastrointestinal form is the rarest. Rhizopus sp. is the most frequent pathogen and infection occurs almost exclusively in immunocompromised patients. We describe the first case of intestinal mucormycosis occurring after a Streptococcus pyogenes toxic shock syndrome in a previously healthy patient caused by Rhizopus microsporus var. azygosporus.

Mucormycosis is an uncommon opportunistic infection and the gastrointestinal form is the rarest. Rhizopus sp. is the most frequent pathogen and infection occurs almost exclusively in immunocompromised patients. We describe the first case of intestinal mucormycosis occurring after a Streptococcus pyogenes toxic shock syndrome in a previously healthy patient caused by Rhizopus microsporus var. azygosporus.

Full Text Available Mucormycosis is an uncommon opportunistic infection and the gastrointestinal form is the rarest. Rhizopus sp. is the most frequent pathogen and infection occurs almost exclusively in immunocompromised patients. We describe the first case of intestinal mucormycosis occurring after a Streptococcus pyogenes toxic shock syndrome in a previously healthy patient caused by Rhizopus microsporus var. azygosporus.

Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death among women. In an effort to understand contributors to disease outcome, we evaluated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) previously associated with ovarian cancer recurrence or survival, specifically in angiogenesis, inflammation, mitosis...

Results of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) for spinal intradural metastases developing inside or adjacent to the previous external-beam radiation therapy (EBRT) field are shown in 3 cases. One case of spinal intramedullary metastasis and two cases of intradural extramedullary metastases were treated using a Novalis shaped-beam SRT. Case 1 developed an intramedullary metastatic tumor in the C1 spinal medulla inside the previous whole brain EBRT field and another lesion adjacent to the field in the C2 spinal medulla. Case 2 developed intradural extramedullary metastasis around C6-8 inside the previous EBRT field for the primary lung adenocarcinoma. Case 3 developed multiple spinal intradural extramedullary metastatic deposits after surgical resection and following whole brain EBRT for brain metastasis. We delivered 24 to 36 Gy in 5 to 12 fractions. The treated tumors were stable or decreased in size until the patients' death from the primary cancer (10, 22, and 5 months). Neurological symptoms were stable or improved in all 3 patients. Palliative SRT using Novalis is expected to be safe and effective even if the patient develops spinal intradural metastases within or adjacent to the previous irradiation field.

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Uterine rupture is a life-threatening condition both to mothers and fetuses. Its early diagnosis and treatment may save their lives. Previous myomectomy is a high risk factor for uterine rupture. Intestinal adhesion due to previous myomectomy may also prevent early diagnosis of uterine rupture. Case presentation A 38-year-old primiparous non-laboring Japanese woman with a history of myomectomy was admitted in her 34th week due to lower abdominal pain. Although the pain was slight and her vital signs were stable, computed tomography revealed massive fluid collection in her abdominal cavity, which led us to perform a laparotomy. Uterine rupture had occurred at the site of the previous myomectomy; however, the small intestine was adhered tightly to the rupture, thus masking it. The baby was delivered through a low uterine segment transverse incision. The ruptured uterine wall was reconstructed. Conclusion Intestinal adhesion due to a prior myomectomy occluded a uterine rupture, possibly masking its symptoms and signs, which may have prevented early diagnosis.

We report on a man with bioprosthetic mitral valve perforation who presented late after transcatheter aortic valve replacement with a balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve (THV). The protrusion of the commissural strut of the bioprosthetic mitral valve coupled with the low implanted THV resulted in repetitive trauma leading to rupture of a mitral leaflet. Potential preventive strategies are discussed. This case illustrates the importance of preprocedural imaging screening and cautious THV deployment in patients with a bioprosthetic mitral valve.

Pallister-Killian syndrome is a rare, multi-system developmental diagnosis typically caused by tetrasomy of chromosome 12p that exhibits tissue-limited mosaicism. The spectrum of clinical manifestations in Pallister-Killian syndrome is wide and includes craniofacial anomalies, clefts, ophthalmologic, audiologic, cardiac, musculoskeletal, diaphragmatic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and cutaneous anomalies in association with intellectual disability and seizures. Growth parameters are often normal to elevated at birth with deceleration of growth postnatally. No formal estimate of the prevalence of Pallister-Killian syndrome has been made. Here, we report the clinical findings in 59 individuals with Pallister-Killian syndrome who were ascertained at Pallister-Killian syndrome Foundation family meetings held in the summers of 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010. In addition, the clinical findings of 152 cases reported in the medical literature were reviewed and compared to the cohort examined here. Several novel clinical characteristics were identified through detailed dysmorphology examinations of this cohort and reassertion of a mild developmental variant is described. This report expands the clinical manifestations of Pallister-Killian syndrome and highlights the variable expressivity of this diagnosis with important implications for diagnosis and counseling.

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate the majority of the transcriptome at a post-transcriptional level. Because of this critical role, it is important to ensure that the assays used to determine their functionality are robust and reproducible. Typically, the reporter gene assay in cell-based systems has been the first-line method to study miRNA functionality. In order to overcome some of the potential errors in interpretation that can be associated with this assay, we have developed a detailed protocol for the luciferase reporter gene assay that has been modified for miRNAs. We demonstrate that normalization against the effect of the miRNA and cellular factors on the luciferase coding sequence is essential to obtain the specific impact of the miRNA on the 3'UTR (untranslated region target. Our findings suggest that there is a real possibility that the roles for miRNA in transcriptome regulation may be misreported due to inaccurate normalization of experimental data and also that up-regulatory effects of miRNAs are not uncommon in cells. We propose to establish this comprehensive method as standard for miRNA luciferase reporter assays to avoid errors and misinterpretations in the functionality of miRNAs.

The recording system discussed is required to record and reproduce wideband data from either of the two primary Earth Resources Technology Satellite sensors: Return Beam Vidicon (RBV) camera or Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS). The camera input is an analog signal with a bandwidth from dc to 3.5 MHz; this signal is accommodated through FM recording techniques which provide a recorder signal-to-noise ratio in excess of 39 db, black-to-white signal/rms noise, over the specified bandwidth. The MSS provides, as initial output, 26 narrowband channels. These channels are multiplexed prior to transmission, or recording, into a single 15 Megabit/second digital data stream. Within the recorder, the 15 Megabit/second NRZL signal is processed through the same FM electronics as the RBV signal, but the basic FM standards are modified to provide an internal, 10.5 MHz baseland response with signal-to-noise ratio of about 25 db. Following FM demodulation, however, the MSS signal is digitally re-shaped and re-clocked so that good bit stability and signal-to-noise exist at the recorder output.

Leukoencephalopathy or leukodystrophy is characterized pathologically by extensive degenerative and/or demyelinating lesions in cerebral white matter and produces various clinical manifestations such as behavioral and/or mood changes, dementia, motor impairment and epilepsy. The hereditary form of this disease is rare, but recent advances in diagnostic techniques have made it possible to make a correct pre-mortem diagnosis for some diseases including CADASIL and CARASIL. Recently, another unique form of the disease, hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids (HDLS) has been noted. The clinical picture of HDLS is as follows: age of onset ranging from 8 to 78 years (average: 39 years), autosomal dominant inheritance, and dementia. The presence of numerous neuroaxonal spheroid in cerebral white matter is one of the pathologic hallmarks of HDLS. Another term "familial pigmentary orthochromatic leukodystrophy (POLD)" has been also used for the patients showing similar clinical pictures and pathologic findings of the patients. Both disorders are now regarded as a single disease entity. Rademakers et al have just reported that HDLS is caused by mutation in the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor gene (CSF1R) and HDLS should be included in the differential diagnosis of familial occurrence of pre-senile dementia.

This report summarizes the activities related to the public funded project “Vollintegrierte leistungselektronische Systeme in der Automobilelektronik – VISA” (Fully Integrated Power Electronic Systems in Automotive Electronics). Aim of the project is to investigate the integration of components into

The Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (DTEM) team at Harvey Mudd College has been sponsored by LLNL to design and build a test setup for optimizing the performance of the DTEM's electron source. Unlike a traditional TEM, the DTEM achieves much faster exposure times by using photoemission from a photocathode to produce electrons for imaging. The DTEM team's work is motivated by the need to improve the coherence and current density of the electron cloud produced by the electron gun in order to increase the image resolution and contrast achievable by DTEM. The photoemission test setup is nearly complete and the team will soon complete baseline tests of electron gun performance. The photoemission laser and high voltage power supply have been repaired; the optics path for relaying the laser to the photocathode has been finalized, assembled, and aligned; the internal setup of the vacuum chamber has been finalized and mostly implemented; and system control, synchronization, and data acquisition has been implemented in LabVIEW. Immediate future work includes determining a consistent alignment procedure to place the laser waist on the photocathode, and taking baseline performance measurements of the tantalum photocathode. Future research will examine the performance of the electron gun as a function of the photoemission laser profile, the photocathode material, and the geometry and voltages of the accelerating and focusing components in the electron gun. This report presents the team's progress and outlines the work that remains.

This is the final report for the Office of Fusion Energy sponsored project entitled, "Experimental Investigation of Collisionless Electron-Electron Microinstabilities." The report summarizes the scientific and human resource development accomplishments supported through this project.

Full Text Available Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes first became available in the United States in 2007, and since that time, the number of e-cigarette users in the US has grown to over 2.5 million. During the period from 2010–2013 alone, the percentage of Americans who reported that they had ever used electronic cigarettes more than doubled from 3.3% to 8.5%. This number will continue to grow, as the use of electronic cigarettes as an alternative to smoking and in smoking cessation is being explored by the public and medical professionals alike. This article presents a case report involving a patient who was injured when the electronic cigarette he was smoking exploded in his face, causing a ballistic injury to his maxilla, as well as a series of other associated injuries. There have been several recent reports in the literature of exploding electronic cigarettes. This article presents a case of avulsive injury due to ballistic trauma with associated impaction of the vaporizing device.

This study identified and examined a set of potential predictors of self-reported negative mood following a depressive mood induction procedure (MIP) in a sample of previously depressed, clinically anxious, and control participants. The examined predictor variables were selected on the basis of previous research and theories of depression, and included symptoms of depression and anxiety, negative and positive affect, negative and positive automatic thoughts, dysfunctional beliefs, rumination, self-concept, and occurrence and perceived unpleasantness of recent negative events. The sample consisted of 33 previously depressed, 22 currently anxious, and 26 non-clinical control participants, recruited from community sources. Participant group status was confirmed through structured diagnostic interviews. Participants completed the Velten negative self-statement MIP as well as self-report questionnaires of affective, cognitive, and psychosocial variables selected as potential predictors of mood change. Symptoms of anxiety were associated with increased self-reported negative mood shift following the MIP in previously depressed participants, but not clinically anxious or control participants. Increased occurrence of recent negative events was a marginally significant predictor of negative mood shift for the previously depressed participants only. None of the other examined variables was significant predictors of MIP response for any of the participant groups. These results identify factors that may increase susceptibility to negative mood states in previously depressed individuals, with implications for theory and prevention of relapse to depression. The findings also identify a number of affective, cognitive, and psychosocial variables that do not appear to influence mood change following a depressive MIP in previously depressed, currently anxious, and control individuals. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed. Current anxiety

Electronicreporting systems improve the quality and timeliness of the surveillance of communicable diseases. The aim of this paper is to present the process of the implementation and introduction of an electronicreporting system for the surveillance of communicable diseases in Lithuania. The project which started in 2002 was performed in collaboration between Lithuania and Sweden and was facilitated by the parallel process of adapting the surveillance system to European Union (EU) standards. The Lotus-based software, SmittAdm, was acquired from the Department of Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention of Stockholm County in Sweden and adopted for Lithuania, resulting in the Lithuanian software, ULISAS. A major advantage of this program for Lithuania was the possibility to work offline. The project was initiated in the two largest counties in Lithuania where ULISAS had been installed and put in use by January 2005. The introduction was gradual, the national level was connected to the system during late 2005, and all remaining counties were included during 2006 and 2007. The reporting system remains to be evaluated concerning timeliness and completeness of the surveillance. Further development is needed, for example the inclusion of all physicians and laboratories and an alert system for outbreaks. The introduction of this case-based, timely electronicreporting system in Lithuania allows better reporting of data to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) compared to the former reporting system with paper-based, aggregated data.

This report describes the work of the Electronics Engineering Department Thrust Areas for FY'84: diagnostics and microelectronic engineering; signal and control engineering; microwave and pulsed power engineering; computer-aided engineering; engineering modeling and simulation; and systems engineering. For each Thrust Area, an overview and a description of the goals and achievements of each project is provided.

Varenicline is gaining popularity for the treatment of nicotine dependence. General treatment guidelines recommend monitoring for behavioral changes in patients with a mental illness. There are very few cases reported on patients developing psychiatric symptoms with no previous history. We are reporting the case of a Spanish patient who had developed a first-psychotic episode after he was started on varenicline. He was ultimately diagnosed with a paranoid personality disorder. Therefore, prior to starting a patient on varenicline, the clinician must identify possible paranoid and other cluster A personality traits. It is essential to monitor for new onset of psychotic symptoms during the treatment with this drug.

Full Text Available Purpose : To evaluate the suitability of treating atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX, an uncommon skin malignancy, with electronic brachytherapy. Material and methods : From Feb 2013 to Sep 2014, we were referred a total of 8 cases of AFX in 7 patients, all involving the scalp. All of them were treated with electronic brachytherapy 50 Kev radiations (Xoft Axxent®, Fremont, California. All lesions received 40 Gy in two fractions per week with 5mm margins. Results : At a median follow-up of 23.7 months, the local recurrence rate is 12.5%. The single lesion that failed was not debulked surgically prior to electronic brachytherapy. Conclusions : To our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature on the use of radiation therapy as curative primary treatment for AFX. No contraindication to the use of radiations is found in the literature, with surgery being the sole treatment for AFX noted. Our recurrence rate is 0% for debulked lesions. Risk of recurrence is mitigated with surgical debulking prior to brachytherapy. Electronic brachytherapy appears to be a safe and effective treatment for debulked AFX. Multiple excisions, skin grafting, and wound care can be avoided in elderly patients by the use of electronic brachytherapy.

Scaphoid excision and four-corner fusion is one of the treatment choices for patients who have stage II or III SLAC (scapholunate advanced collapse)/SNAC (scaphoid non-union advanced collapse) wrist arthritis. We report a case of ulnar-sided wrist pain which occurred after four-corner fusion for stage II SNAC wrist with a previously-asymptomatic ulnar positive variance, and was successfully treated by ulnar shortening osteotomy. This case highlights a possible coincidental pathology of the ulnocarpal joint in the setting of post-traumatic radiocarpal arthrosis.

Three rays opportunistically obtained near Margarita Island, Venezuela, were identified as lesser devil rays Mobula cf. hypostoma, but their disc widths were between 207 and 230 cm, which is almost double the reported maximum disc width of 120 cm for this species. These morphometric data suggest that lesser devil rays are either larger than previously recognized or that these specimens belong to an unknown sub-species of Mobula in the Caribbean Sea. Better data are needed to describe the distribution, phenotypic variation and population structure of this poorly known species.

Full Text Available A single specimen of the genus Sillago, collected from Gwangyang, Korea, in May 2009, is characterized by XI first dorsal fin spines, 3 or 4 rows of melanophore pattern along the second dorsal fin membrane, and a darkish posterior margin of the caudal fin. Our specimen was identified as Sillago sinica reported as a new species; this identification is confirmed by mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I sequences, which show that our specimen corresponds to S. sinica (d=0.000 and differs from the congeneric species Sillago parvisquamis (d=0.170. Comparisons of Korean specimens previouslyreported as S. parvisquamis with specimens of S. sinica show that the S. parvisquamis specimens are actually S. sinica. We propose the new Korean name “buk-bang-jeom-bo-ri-myeol” for S. sinica.

Performing a redo-sternotomy when a mammary artery graft is patent can be rather difficult. We previouslyreported a redo-sternotomy technique involving direct visualization with a retrosternal dissection (DR) method using a Kent's retractor. The DR method in detail is as follows: 1) A midline skin incision is extended to the abdomen about 5 cm. 2) The bilateral costal arches are divided from the rectal muscle. 3). A pair of retractors is placed under the costal arch. 4) A stainless steel wire is applied to the previous sternal wire at the center of the sternum. 5) The retractor and sternal wire are lifted up using the Kent's retractor to widen the retrosternal space. 6) The sternum and sub-sternal tissue are carefully divided using an electronic scalpel or metal retractor with an entirely sternal length. 7) Routine sternotomy is performed using a Stryker. Herein, we report a patient who had undergone cardiac surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), using a left internal mammary artery and mitral annuloplasty 2 years previously, and then developed mitral regurgitation caused by infectious endocarditis. He successfully underwent redo-sternotomy and mitral valve replacement using the DR method. In a patient with a patent internal mammary artery, the DR method greatly reduces the risk of graft injury.

Rising interest in the nuclear physics community in a GeV C.W. electron accelerator reflects the growing importance of high-resolution short-range nuclear physics to future advances in the field. In this report major current problems are reviewed and the details of prospective measurements which could be made with a GeV C.W. electron facility are discussed, together with their impact on an understanding of nuclear forces and the structure of nuclear matter. The microtron accelerator has been chosen as the technology to generate the electron beams required for the research discussed because of the advantages of superior beam quality, low capital and operating cost and capability of furnishing beams of several energies and intensities simultaneously. A complete technical description of the conceptual design for a 2 GeV double-sided C.W. electron microtron is presented. The accelerator can furnish three beams with independently controlled energy and intensity. The maximum current per beam is 100 ..mu..amps. Although the precise objective for maximum beam energy is still a subject of debate, the design developed in this study provides the base technology for microtron accelerators at higher energies (2 to 6 GeV) using multi-sided geometries.

Full Text Available Hepatocellular carcinoma rarely metastasizes to the orbit. We report a 45-year-old male, HBV+, HIV+, with a past history of a liver transplant for ELSD (end-stage liver disease with hepatocellular carcinoma and recurrent HCC, who presented with proptosis and diplopia of the left eye. CT scans of the head revealed a large, irregular mass in the left orbit causing superior and lateral destruction of the orbital bone. Biopsy specimens of the orbital tumor showed features of metastatic foci of hepatocellular carcinoma. Only 16 other cases of HCC metastasis to the orbit have been described in literature, and this is the first case in a previously transplanted HIV+, HBV+ patient.

Electrostatic collection of a high resistivity aerosol using the Electron Beam Precipitator (EBP) collecting section was demonstrated during this reporting period (Quarter Five). Collection efficiency experiments were designed to confirm and extend some of the work performed under the previous contract. The reason for doing this was to attempt to improve upon the collection efficiency of the precipitator alone when testing with a very high resistivity, moderate-to-high concentration dust load. From the collector shakedown runs, a set of suitable operational parameters were determined for the downstream electrostatic collecting sections of the Electron Beam Precipitator wind tunnel. These parameters, along with those for the MINACC electron beam, will generally be held constant while the numerous precharging parameters are varied to produce an optimum particle charge. The electrostatic collector experiments were part of a larger, comprehensive investigation on electron beam precharging of high resistivity aerosol particles performed during the period covered by Quarters Five, Six, and Seven. This body of work used the same experimental apparatus and procedures and the experimental run period lasted nearly continuously for six months. A summary of the Quarter Five work is presented in the following paragraphs. Section II-A of TPR 5 contains a report on the continuing effort which was expended on the modification and upgrade of the pulsed power supply and the monitoring systems prior to the initiation of the electron beam precharging experimental work.

Rj4 is a dominant gene in soybeans (Glycine max) that restricts nodulation by many strains of Bradyrhizobium elkanii. The soybean-B. elkanii symbiosis has a low nitrogen-fixation efficiency, but B. elkanii strains are highly competitive for nodulation; thus, cultivars harboring an Rj4 allele are considered favorable. Cloning the Rj4 gene is the first step in understanding the molecular basis of Rj4-mediated nodulation restriction and facilitates the development of molecular tools for genetic improvement of nitrogen fixation in soybeans. We finely mapped the Rj4 locus within a small genomic region on soybean chromosome 1, and validated one of the candidate genes as Rj4 using both complementation tests and CRISPR/Cas9-based gene knockout experiments. We demonstrated that Rj4 encodes a thaumatin-like protein, for which a corresponding allele is not present in the surveyed rj4 genotypes, including the reference genome Williams 82. Our conclusion disagrees with the previousreport that Rj4 is the Glyma.01G165800 gene (previously annotated as Glyma01g37060). Instead, we provide convincing evidence that Rj4 is Glyma.01g165800-D, a duplicated and unique version of Glyma.01g165800, that has evolved the ability to control symbiotic specificity. PMID:26582727

Food pattern analyses are popular tools in the study of associations between diet and health. However, there is a need for further evaluation of this methodology. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluate the relationship between food pattern groups (FPG) and existing health, and to identify factors influencing this relationship. The inhabitants of Västerbotten County in northern Sweden are invited to health check-ups when they turn 30, 40, 50, and 60 years of age. The present study includes data collected from almost 60,000 individuals between 1992 and 2005. Associations between FPG (established using K-means cluster analyses) and health were analyzed separately in men and women. The health status of the participants and their close family and reporting accuracy differed significantly between men and women and among FPG. Crude regression analyses, with the high fat FPG as reference, showed increased risks for several health outcomes for all other FPGs in both sexes. However, when limiting analysis to individuals without previous ill-health and with adequate energy intake reports, most of the risks instead showed a trend towards protective effects. Food pattern classifications reflect both eating habits and other own and family health related factors, a finding important to remember and to adjust for before singling out the diet as a primary cause for present and future health problems. Appropriate exclusions are suggested to avoid biases and attenuated associations in nutrition epidemiology.

Kyphoplasty has been shown to provide symptomatic relief of vertebral compression fractures refractory to medical therapy. However, few reports have focused on refracture of cemented vertebrae after kyphoplasty. The presence of cemented vertebrae refracture concurrent with cement fragmentation is an extremely rare condition. We reported an 86-year-old man with a T12 osteoporotic compression fracture undergoing the kyphoplasty treatment. The patient postoperatively continued to have back pain at the same level. The solid lumped polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) mass and inadequate use and insufficient filling of PMMA cement were observed in postoperative radiographs and magnetic resonance image (MRI) examination. He refused to receive the surgical intervention, but had not strict compliance with oral anti-osteoporotic medications. Ten months postoperatively, refracture of osteoporotic vertebral body concurrent with cement fragmentation occurred at the previously kyphoplasty-treated vertebral level. Bone mineral analysis showed severe osteoporosis with a T-score of -4.0. The patient finally obtained therapeutic benefit of pain relief and bony union of T12 vertebral body by consistently adhering to anti-osteoporotic medication treatment. This case illustrated that patients who underwent kyphoplasty to treat osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with intravertebral fracture should be strictly followed up and supervised in their anti-osteoporotic medication treatment. The interdigitation injection pattern of PMMA and sufficient PMMA filling with trabeculae in the kyphoplasty procedure also might prevent refracture of the cemented vertebrae concurrent with PMMA fragmentation.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Food pattern analyses are popular tools in the study of associations between diet and health. However, there is a need for further evaluation of this methodology. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluate the relationship between food pattern groups (FPG and existing health, and to identify factors influencing this relationship. Methods The inhabitants of Västerbotten County in northern Sweden are invited to health check-ups when they turn 30, 40, 50, and 60 years of age. The present study includes data collected from almost 60,000 individuals between 1992 and 2005. Associations between FPG (established using K-means cluster analyses and health were analyzed separately in men and women. Results The health status of the participants and their close family and reporting accuracy differed significantly between men and women and among FPG. Crude regression analyses, with the high fat FPG as reference, showed increased risks for several health outcomes for all other FPGs in both sexes. However, when limiting analysis to individuals without previous ill-health and with adequate energy intake reports, most of the risks instead showed a trend towards protective effects. Conclusions Food pattern classifications reflect both eating habits and other own and family health related factors, a finding important to remember and to adjust for before singling out the diet as a primary cause for present and future health problems. Appropriate exclusions are suggested to avoid biases and attenuated associations in nutrition epidemiology.

Pompe disease is an autosomal recessive lysosomal glycogen storage disorder, characterized by progressive muscle weakness. Deficiency of acid α-glucosidase (EC; 3.2.1.20/3) can be caused by numerous pathogenic variants in the GAA gene. The Pompe Disease Mutation Database at http://www.pompecenter.nl aims to list all variants and their effect. This update reports on 94 variants. We examined 35 novel and 34 known mutations by site-directed mutagenesis and transient expression in COS-7 cells or HEK293T cells. Each of these mutations was given a severity rating using a previously published system, based on the level of acid α-glucosidase activity in medium and transfected cells and on the quantity and quality of the different molecular mass species in the posttranslational modification and transport of acid α-glucosidase. This approach enabled to classify 55 missense mutations as pathogenic and 13 as likely nonpathogenic. Based on their nature and the use of in silico analysis (Alamut® software), 12 of the additional 25 novel mutations were predicted to be pathogenic including 4 splicing mutations, 6 mutations leading to frameshift, and 2 point mutations causing stop codons. Seven of the additional mutations were considered nonpathogenic (4 silent and 3 occurring in intron regions), and 6 are still under investigation.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hamate hook fracture is a common fracture in golfers and others who play sports that involve rackets or sticks such as tennis or hockey. This patient had a previous hamate fracture in the opposing wrist along with potential features of hamate bipartite. Case presentation A 19 year old male presented with a complaint of right wrist pain on the ulnar side of the wrist with no apparent mechanism of injury. The pain came on gradually one week before being seen in the office and he reported no prior care for the complaint. His history includes traumatic left hamate hook fracture with surgical excision. Conclusion The patient was found to have marked tenderness over the hamate and with a prior fracture to the other wrist, computed tomography of the wrist was ordered revealing a fracture to the hamate hook in the right wrist. He was referred for surgical evaluation and the hook of the hamate was excised. Post-surgically, the patient was able to return to normal activity within eight weeks. This case is indicative of fracture rather than hamate bipartite. This fracture should be considered in a case of ulnar sided wrist pain where marked tenderness is noted over the hamate, especially after participation in club or racket sports.

PEDRO is an electronic data communications product that simplifies filing and transmission of petroleum survey data. Your burden is significantly reduced as PEDRO eliminates paperwork, provides immediate onsite correction of data errors, and reduces the need for followup calls and survey resubmission. PEDRO provides an online error-checking process that highlights discrepancies. This permits you to enter and check data before transmitting to EIA. EIA then combines and reformats the data from different users for use by analytical and reporting programs. PEDRO is available at no cost to the user. Formal training is not required since installation, data processing, and transmission are done by interactive, user-friendly menu options. The PEDRO system is divided into three functions: (1) data processing, (2) transmitting data to EIA, and (3) EIA processing. 28 figs.

The NHLS performs close to 4 million CD4 tests per annum for the public sector in South Africa through a network of 60 CD4 testing laboratories. CD4 laboratory data provides an assessment of the number of patients on ART and HIV-positive patients in the pre-ART wellness programs. This study aims to develop a laboratory based Comprehensive Care, Management and Treatment of HIV and AIDS (CCMT) programme status reporting system for CD4 testing at three health facilities in the Ekurhuleni health district using a newly developed CCMT request form, the Laboratory Information System (LIMS) and Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW). The study will generate monitoring and evaluation data to assist in the management of health facilities through a national electronic corporate data warehouse.

We previously evaluated 119 consecutive total knee arthroplasties performed by a single surgeon in eighty-six patients with use of the cemented LCS (low contact stress) mobile-bearing, rotating-platform system and an all-polyethylene patellar component. The average age of the patients at the time of surgery was seventy years. The patients were contacted as part of their routine follow-up and were asked to participate in this study. The purpose of the present study was to report the updated results at a minimum follow-up of twenty years. Twenty patients (twenty-six knees) were living, and one was lost to follow-up. Three knees required a reoperation (two for periprosthetic fractures and one for infection). No component was revised as a part of the reoperations. No knee required revision since the fifteen-year follow-up evaluation. Osteolysis was present in six knees compared with only three knees at the time of the fifteen-year follow-up. One knee had radiographic signs of femoral component loosening, which was associated with osteolysis. It occurred after the fifteen-year follow-up study. The average range of motion was from 1 degrees of extension to 105 degrees of flexion. The average clinical and functional Knee Society scores were 43 and 49 points, respectively, at the preoperative evaluation and 89 and 67 points at the time of the final follow-up. We concluded that the cemented LCS rotating-platform knee performed well, with durable clinical and radiographic results at a minimum follow-up of twenty years. However, the prevalence of osteolysis continues to increase with a longer duration of follow-up in these patients.

This program implemented advanced computer optimization into an adaptive mesh, finite element, 3D, charged particle code. The routines can optimize electron gun performance to achieve a specified current, beam size, and perveance. It can also minimize beam ripple and electric field gradients. The magnetics optimization capability allows design of coil geometries and magnetic material configurations to achieve a specified axial magnetic field profile. The optimization control program, built into the charged particle code Beam Optics Analyzer (BOA) utilizes a 3D solid modeling package to modify geometry using design tables. Parameters within the graphical user interface (currents, voltages, etc.) can be directly modified within BOA. The program implemented advanced post processing capability for the optimization routines as well as the user. A Graphical User Interface allows the user to set up goal functions, select variables, establish ranges of variation, and define performance criteria. The optimization capability allowed development of a doubly convergent multiple beam gun that could not be designed using previous techniques.

Use of Electronic Commerce (EC)/Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to support Department of Defense (DoD) procurement processes has been under consideration for some time. A 1988 Deputy Secretary of Defense memo calls for maximum use of EDI, based on 10 years of DoD EDI investigation and experiments. In 1990, Defense Management Review Decision 941 stated, 'The strategic goal of DoD's current efforts is to provide the department with the capability to initiate, conduct, and maintain its external business related transactions and internal logistics, contracting, and financial activities without requiring the use of hard copy media.' The EC in Contracting PAT membership reflected a broad cross section of Military Services and Defense Agencies working on a full-time basis for 60 days. The diversity of the EC in Contracting PAT ensured that the needs and concerns of all DoD components were addressed during the creation of the report. The resultant plan, therefore, represents a comprehensive approach for implementing EC throughout the DoD.

Fundamental processes of electron transfer, ionization, and excitation in ion-atom and ion-ion collisions are studied. Attention is focussed on one- and two-electron systems and, more recently, quasi-one-electron systems whose electron-target-ion core can be accurately modeled by one-electron potentials. The basic computational approaches can then be taken with few, if any, approximations, and the underlying collisional mechanisms can be more clearly revealed. At intermediate collision energies (e.g., proton energies for p-He{sup +} collisions on the order of 100 kilo-electron volts), many electronic states are strongly coupled during the collision, a coupled-state approach, such as a coupled-Sturmian-pseudostate approach, is appropriate. At higher collision energies (million electron-volt energies) the coupling is weaker with, however, many more states being coupled together, so that high-order perturbation theory is essential.

This report describes a new heavy ion pre-injector for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) based on a high charge state Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS), a Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) accelerator, and a short Linac. The highly successful development of an EBIS at BNL now makes it possible to replace the present pre-injector that is based on an electrostatic Tandem with a reliable, low maintenance Linac-based pre-injector. Linac-based pre-injectors are presently used at most accelerator and collider facilities with the exception of RHIC, where the required gold beam intensities could only be met with a Tandem until the recent EBIS development. EBIS produces high charge state ions directly, eliminating the need for the two stripping foils presently used with the Tandem. Unstable stripping efficiencies of these foils are a significant source of luminosity degradation in RHIC. The high reliability and flexibility of the new Linac-based pre-injector will lead to increased integrated luminosity at RHIC and is an essential component for the long-term success of the RHIC facility. This new pre-injector, based on an EBIS, also has the potential for significant future intensity increases and can produce heavy ion beams of all species including uranium beams and, as part of a future upgrade, might also be used to produce polarized {sup 3}He beams. These capabilities will be critical to the future luminosity upgrades and electron-ion collisions in RHIC. The new RFQ and Linac that are used to accelerate beams from the EBIS to an energy sufficient for injection into the Booster are both very similar to existing devices already in operation at other facilities. Injection into the Booster will occur at the same location as the existing injection from the Tandem.

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

This document, the Preliminary Design Report (PDR) for the Brookhaven Ultraviolet Free Electron Laser (UV FEL) facility, describes all the elements of a facility proposed to meet the needs of a research community which requires ultraviolet sources not currently available as laboratory based lasers. Further, for these experiments, the requisite properties are not extant in either the existing second or upcoming third generation synchrotron light sources. This document is the result of our effort at BNL to identify potential users, determine the requirements of their experiments, and to design a facility which can not only satisfy the existing need, but have adequate flexibility for possible future extensions as need dictates and as evolving technology allows. The PDR is comprised of three volumes. In this, the first volume, background for the development of the proposal is given, including descriptions of the UV FEL facility, and representative examples of the science it was designed to perform. Discussion of the limitations and potential directions for growth are also included. A detailed description of the facility design is then provided, which addresses the accelerator, optical, and experimental systems. Information regarding the conventional construction for the facility is contained in an addendum to volume one (IA).

This document, the Preliminary Design Report (PDR) for the Brookhaven Ultraviolet Free Electron Laser (UV FEL) facility, describes all the elements of a facility proposed to meet the needs of a research community which requires ultraviolet sources not currently available as laboratory based lasers. Further, for these experiments, the requisite properties are not extant in either the existing second or upcoming third generation synchrotron light sources. This document is the result of our effort at BNL to identify potential users, determine the requirements of their experiments, and to design a facility which can not only satisfy the existing need, but have adequate flexibility for possible future extensions as need dictates and as evolving technology allows. The PDR is comprised of three volumes. In this, the first volume, background for the development of the proposal is given, including descriptions of the UV FEL facility, and representative examples of the science it was designed to perform. Discussion of the limitations and potential directions for growth are also included. A detailed description of the facility design is then provided, which addresses the accelerator, optical, and experimental systems. Information regarding the conventional construction for the facility is contained in an addendum to volume one (IA).

This report describes a new heavy ion pre-injector for the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) based on a high charge state Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS), a Radio Frequency Quadrupole (RFQ) accelerator, and a short Linear accelerator (Linac). The highly successful development of an EBIS at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) now makes it possible to replace the present pre-injector that is based on an electrostatic Tandem with a reliable, low maintenance Linac-based pre-injector. Linac-based preinjectors are presently used at most accelerator and collider facilities with the exception of RHIC, where the required gold beam intensities could only be met with a Tandem until the recent EBIS development. EBIS produces high charge state ions directly, eliminating the need for the two stripping foils presently used with the Tandem. Unstable stripping efficiencies of these foils are a significant source of luminosity degradation in RHIC. The high reliability and flexibility of the new Linac-based pre-injector will lead to increased integrated luminosity at RHIC and is an essential component for the long-term success of the RHIC facility. This new pre-injector, based on an EBIS, also has the potential for significant future intensity increases and can produce heavy ion beams of all species including uranium beams and, as part of a future upgrade, might also be used to produce polarized {sup 3}He beams. These capabilities will be critical to the future luminosity upgrades and electron-ion collisions in RHIC. The proposed pre-injector system would also provide for a major enhancement in capability for the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL), which utilizes heavy-ion beams from the RHIC complex. EBIS would allow for the acceleration of all important ion species for the NASA radiobiology program, such as, helium, argon, and neon which are unavailable with the present Tandem injector. In addition, the new system would allow for very rapid switching of ion species for

Magnetically confined hollow electron beams for controlled halo removal in high-energy colliders such as the Tevatron or the LHC may extend traditional collimation systems beyond the intensity limits imposed by tolerable material damage. They may also improve collimation performance by suppressing loss spikes due to beam jitter and by increasing capture efficiency. A hollow electron gun was designed and built. Its performance and stability were measured at the Fermilab test stand. The gun will be installed in one of the existing Tevatron electron lenses for preliminary tests of the hollow-beam collimator concept, addressing critical issues such as alignment and instabilities of the overlapping proton and electron beams.

During the previousreporting period (Quarter Six), the charging and removal of a fine, high resistivity aerosol using the advanced technology of electron beam precipitation was successfully accomplished. Precharging a dust stream circulating through the EBP wind tunnel produced collection efficiency figures of up to 40 times greater than with corona charging and collection alone (Table 1). The increased system collection efficiency attributed to electron beam precharging was determined to be the result of increased particle charge. It was found that as precharger electric field was raised, collection efficiency became greater. In sequence, saturation particle charge varies with the precharger electric field strength, particle migration velocity varies with the precharger and collector electric field, and collection efficiency varies with the migration velocity. Maximizing the system collection efficiency requires both a high charging electric field (provided by the E-beam precharger), and a high collecting electric field (provided by the collector wires and plates). Because increased particle collection efficiency is directly attributable to higher particle charge, the focus of research during Quarter Seven was shifted to learning more about the actual charge magnitude on the aerosol particles. Charge determinations in precipitators have traditionally been made on bulk dust samples collected from the flue gas stream, which gives an overall charge vs. mass (Q/M) ratio measurement. More recently, techniques have been developed which allow the measurement of the charge on individual particles in a rapid and repeatable fashion. One such advanced technique has been developed at FSU for use in characterizing the electron beam precharger.

The treatment of locoregionally recurrent breast cancer in patients who have previously undergone radiation therapy is challenging. Special techniques are often required that both eradicate the disease and minimize the risks of retreatment. We report the case of a patient with an early-stage left breast cancer who developed inflammatory-type recurrence requiring re-irradiation of the chest wall using bolus electron conformal therapy with image-guided treatment delivery. The patient was a 51-year-old woman who had undergone lumpectomy, axillary lymph node dissection, and adjuvant whole-breast radiation therapy for a stage I left breast cancer in June 1998. In March 2009, she presented at our institution with biopsy-proven recurrent inflammatory carcinoma and was aggressively treated with multi-agent chemotherapy followed by mastectomy that left a positive surgical margin. Given the patient's prior irradiation and irregular chest wall anatomy, bolus electron conformal therapy was used to treat her chest wall and draining lymphatics while sparing the underlying soft tissue. The patient still had no evidence of disease 21 months after treatment. Our results indicate that bolus electron conformal therapy is an accessible, effective radiation treatment approach for recurrent breast cancer in patients with irregular chest wall anatomy as a result of surgery. This approach may complement standard techniques used to reduce locoregional recurrence in the postmastectomy setting.

The health risks associated with electronic cigarettes (ECs) are largely unknown. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate published case reports that deal with health effects attributed to EC use. An Internet search was conducted to identify case reports dealing with the effects of EC use on health. Twenty-six case reports representing 27 individuals (one study contained reports for two individuals) were published between April 2012 and January 2016, and these were grouped into categories of effect according to their health outcomes. Of the 27 individuals, 25 had negative effects subsequent to use or exposure to ECs and their refill fluids, while two reported improvement in chronic immune and gastrointestinal conditions. Three categories of negative health effects were identified: systemic effects, nicotine poisoning, and mechanical injury. Thirteen cases reported EC effects on different systems including: respiratory (6), gastrointestinal or developing intestine of an infant (3), cardiovascular (2), neurological (1), and immune (1). Twelve cases involved nicotine poisoning resulting from accidental (N = 3), misuse/abuse (N = 1), or suicidal/intentional ingestion (N = 8); four of these involved children and three resulted in adult fatalities. Two cases reported mechanical injury caused by an EC battery explosion. Most case reports show that the health of children and adults can be negatively affected by EC products and that if death does not occur, negative effects can be reversed. Data further indicate that EC use can cause negative health effects in previously healthy individuals and exacerbate pre-existing conditions.

... electronic document provided that the state, tribe, or local government seeks and obtains revision or... electronicreporting. (2) A state, tribe, or local government that is applying for initial delegation... obligate EPA, states, tribes, or local governments to accept electronic documents....

A flexible, highly efficient laboratory proof-of-concept Ultracapacitor/Battery Interface power electronic circuit with associated controls was developed on a cost-shared contract funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE), the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), and the General Electric Company (GE). This power electronic interface translates the varying dc voltage on an ultracapacitor with bi-directional power flow to the dc bus of an inverter-supplied ac propulsion system in an electric vehicle application. In a related application, the electronic interface can also be utilized to interface a low-voltage battery to a dc bus of an inverter supplied ac propulsion system. Variations in voltage for these two intended applications occur (1) while extracting energy (discharge) or supplying energy (charge) to an ultracapacitor, and (2) while extracting energy (discharge) or supplying energy (charge) to a low-voltage battery. The control electronics of this interface is designed to be operated as a stand-alone unit acting in response to an external power command. However, the interface unit`s control is not configured to provide any of the vehicle system control functions associated with load leveling or power splitting between the propulsion battery and the ultracapacitor in an electric or hybrid vehicle application. A system study/preliminary design effort established the functional specification of the interface unit, including voltage, current, and power ratings, to meet the program objectives and technical goals for the development of a highly efficient ultracapacitor/battery electronic interface unit; and performed a system/application study of a hybrid-electric transit bus including an ultracapacitor and appropriate electronic interface. The maximum power capability of the ultracapacitor/battery electronic interface unit is 25 kW.

A yearlong survey of insect taxa associated with human decomposition was conducted at the Southeast Texas Applied Forensic Science (STAFS) facility located in the Center for Biological Field Studies of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX. During this study, four insect-cadaver interactions were observed that represent previously poorly documented yet forensically significant interactions: Syrphidae maggots colonized a corpse in an aquatic situation; Psychodidae adults mated and oviposited on an algal film that was present on a corpse that had been recently removed from water; several Panorpidae were the first insects to feed upon a freshly placed corpse in the autumn; and a noctuid caterpillar was found chewing and ingesting dried human skin. Baseline knowledge of insect-cadaver interactions is the foundation of forensic entomology, and unique observations have the potential to expand our understanding of decomposition ecology.

In 2001 Germany implemented a new electronicreporting system for surveillance of notifiable infectious diseases (SurvNet@RKI). The system is currently being used in all 431 local health departments (LHD), the 16 state health departments (SHD) and the Robert Koch-Institut (RKI), the national agency for infectious disease epidemiology. The SurvNet@RKI software is written in MS Access 97 and Visual Basic and it supports MS Access as well as MS SQL Server database management systems as a back-end. The database is designed as a distributed, dynamic database for 73 reporting categories with more than 600 fields and about 7000 predefined entry values. An integrated version management system documents deletion, undeletion, completion and correction of cases at any time and entry level and allows reproduction of previously conducted queries. Integrated algorithms and help functions support data quality and the application of case definitions. RKI makes the system available to all LHDs and SHDs free of charge. RKI receives an average of 300,000 case reports and 6240 outbreak reports per year through this system. A public web-based query interface, SurvStat@RKI, assures extensive and timely publication of the data. During the 5 years that SurvNet@RKI has been running in all LHDs and SHDs in Germany it has coped well with a complex federal structure which makes this system particularly attractive to multinational surveillance networks. The system is currently being migrated to Microsoft C#/.NET and transport formats in XML. Based on our experiences, we provide recommendations for the design and implementation of national or international electronic surveillance systems.

Although the title ''Electron Beam Driven Concepts'' can in principle cover a broad range of advanced accelerator schemes, in the context of this workshop and the various other working groups, working group 4 discussions centered primarily around the many active investigations of the electron or positron beam driven plasma wakefield accelerator. The past year has seen advances along three main fronts: experiment, simulation and theory. This paper will give a brief summary of the various talks presented to the group, summarize group discussions and conclude with a few comments on future directions.

The purpose of this study was to update the results, at a minimum of thirty-five years, in a single-surgeon series of primary Charnley total hip arthroplasties performed with cement. Twelve patients (fifteen hips) were alive, 249 patients (314 hips) had died, and one patient (one hip) had been lost to follow-up. Seven of the hips in the living patients had required at least one revision; 290 (88%) of the original group of total hip prostheses either continued to function or were in patients who had died. Since the time of a thirty-year study of this cohort, one hip that had previously been revised because of acetabular loosening required an additional revision because of acetabular loosening and two additional hips had evidence of radiographic loosening (of one acetabular and one femoral component). The survival rate with revision for any reason as the end point was 78%. This end result study should provide a benchmark for subsequent procedures and designs with the caveat that patient life expectancy will likely continue to increase and modern-design implants are being used in younger patients.

The Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machines (APEEM) subprogram within the Vehicle Technologies Program provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on understanding and improving the way the various new components of tomorrow's automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency.

Examines the Government Printing Office's (GPO's) progress on its transition to a more electronic Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Encourages GPO to expand its services and training beyond the FDLP, and to review and consolidate online bibliographic tools to be more intuitive and functional. (Author/LRW)

The skills and education/training implications of the development of electronic commerce in the United Kingdom's retail industry and its associated supply chain were examined. The major data collection activities were as follows: a literature review; consultation with leading academics and advisers; an e-mail-based call for information from…

This paper, the last in a series of three on 'feline leprosy', provides a detailed description of disease referable to the previously unnamed species, Candidatus 'Mycobacterium lepraefelis', a close relative of the human pathogens Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Cases were sourced retrospectively and prospectively for this observational study, describing clinical, geographical and molecular microbiological data for cats definitively diagnosed with Candidatus 'M lepraefelis' infection. A total of 145 cases of feline leprosy were scrutinised; 114 'new' cases were sourced from the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL) records, veterinary pathology laboratories or veterinarians, and 31 cases were derived from six published studies. Thirty-eight cats were definitively diagnosed with Candidatus 'M lepraefelis' infection. Typically, cats tended to be middle-aged or older when first infected, with a male predilection. Affected cats typically had widespread cutaneous lesions, in some cases after initially localised disease. Advanced cases were often systemically unwell. All cats had outdoor access. The histological picture was lepromatous in the majority of patients, although two cases had tuberculoid disease. In one case that underwent necropsy, lesions were evident in the liver, spleen and lungs. Treatment was varied, although most cats received a combination of oral clarithromycin and rifampicin. Prognosis for recovery was variable, but typically poor. Candidatus 'M lepraefelis' typically causes high bacterial index (lepromatous) feline leprosy that in some cases progresses to systemic mycobacteriosis. The disease has a variable clinical course and prognosis. Many cases either died or were euthanased due to the infection. Multilocus sequence analysis reveals a heterogeneous picture and further analysis of draft genome sequencing may give clues to the taxonomy and epidemiology of this organism. Prospective treatment trials and

Full Text Available Radiation therapy is associated with a variety of complications, including the development of primary skin cancers in the radiated region. However, it is rare for patients with visceral cancers who are treated with radiation therapy to subsequently develop cutaneous metastasis within the radiation port. We describe two patients with internal malignancies who developed cutaneous metastases within their radiation ports following radiotherapy. In addition, we used PubMed to perform an extensive literature review and identify additional reports of cutaneous metastasis within a radiation port. We excluded patients who developed melanoma or primary skin cancers in the radiation port. We also excluded patients with non-solid organ malignancies. Herein, we summarize the characteristics of 23 additional patients who experienced radiation port cutaneous metastases and explore possible mechanisms for the occurrence of radiation port cutaneous metastases.

We report on a 3-year-old boy with prenatal onset of proportionate dwarfism, postnatal severe microcephaly, high forehead with receded hairline, sparse scalp hair, beaked nose, mild retrognathia and hypotonia diagnosed at birth as Seckel syndrome. At age 3 years, he became paralyzed due to a cerebrovascular malformation. Based on the clinical and radiological features showing evidence of skeletal dysplasia, the diagnosis was revised to Majewski osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II (MOPD II) syndrome. Western blot analysis of the patient's lymphoblastoid cell line lysate showed the absence of the protein pericentrin. Subsequent molecular analysis identified a novel homozygous single base insertion (c.1527_1528insA) in exon 10 of the PCNT gene, which leads to a frameshift (Treo510fs) and to premature protein truncation. PCNT mutations must be considered diagnostic of MOPD II syndrome. A possible role of pericentrin in the development of cerebral vessels is suggested. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The objective for this project is to develop thermal management strategies to enable efficient and high-temperature wide-bandgap (WBG)-based power electronic systems (e.g., emerging inverter and DC-DC converter). Device- and system-level thermal analyses are conducted to determine the thermal limitations of current automotive power modules under elevated device temperature conditions. Additionally, novel cooling concepts and material selection will be evaluated to enable high-temperature silicon and WBG devices in power electronics components. WBG devices (silicon carbide [SiC], gallium nitride [GaN]) promise to increase efficiency, but will be driven as hard as possible. This creates challenges for thermal management and reliability.

The electronic and optical processes in an important class of thin-film PV materials, hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and related alloys, have been investigated using several experimental techniques designed for thin-film geometries. The experimental techniques include various magnetic resonance and optical spectroscopies and combinations of these two spectroscopies. Two-step optical excitation processes through the manifold of silicon dangling bond states have been identifies as important at low excitation energies. Local hydrogen motion has been studied using nuclear magnetic resonance techniques and found to be much more rapid than long range diffusion as measured by secondary ion mass spectroscopy. A new metastable effect has been found in a-Si:H films alloyed with sulfur. Spin-one optically excited states have been unambiguously identified using optically detected electron spin resonance. Local hydrogen bonding in microcrystalline silicon films has been studied using NMR.

The 25th Annual Workshop on Recent Developments in Electronic Structure Methods (ES2013) was successfully held at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg VA on June 11-14, 2013. The workshop website is at http://es13.wm.edu/ , which contains updated information on the workshop and a permanent archive of the scientific contents. DOE's continued support has been instrumental to the success of the workshop.

Sponsors physics: tests of quantum mechanics such as the Aharonov - Casher effect ,’ measurement of Joint Services Electronics Program the equality of proton...to perform several 4M -260 4 experiments including measurement of the p,,M ,M Aharonov - Casher phase shift, the electric polariza- bility of the ground...Performance Devices A daaired in some devices, most notably quantum 1.3 Molecular Beam Epitaxy of effect devices, where a sharp interface is desired to

Full Text Available Medical errors are unintentional acts that take place due to the negligence or lead to undesirable consequences in medical practice. The purpose of this study was to design a conceptual model for medical error reporting system. This applied descriptive cross-sectional research employed Delphi method carried out from 2012 to 2013. The study population was medical and paramedical personnel of health workers and paramedical personnel of hospitals, deputy of treatment, faculty members of Kashan University of Medical Sciences in addition to the internet and library resources. Sample size included 30 expert individuals in the field of medical errors. The one-stage stratified sampling procedure was used. The items with opposition ranging 0 to 25 were confirmed and those exceeding 50 were rejected whereas the items with the opposition 25 to 50 were reevaluated in the second session. This process continued for three times and the items that failed to be approved were eliminated in the model. Based on the results of this research, repeated informing about and reporting operation at on-line bases that have access to the incidence of error detected on time, identifying cause and damage due to the incidence reported confidential and anonymously immediately after the occurrence is necessary. Analysis of data quantitatively and qualitatively by using computer software is needed. Classifying the errors reports based on feedback provision according to the cause of error is needed. In addition, confidential report and possible manual retrieval were suggested It is essential to determine the means of reporting and items in the reporting form including time, cause and damage of medical error, media of reporting and method of recording and analysis.

5 JSEP RELATED CONFERENCES/ ORAL PRESENTATIONS SEPTEMBER 1992 TO SEPTEMBER 1993 .................. 7 JSEP RELATED AWARDS, PH.D. DISSERTATIONS AND...Aperture Elements." 6I I I I I I I I I I I U I I 6! I Sl s | l iI JSEP RELATED CONFERENCES/ ORAL PRESENTATIONS SEPTEMBER 1992 TO SEPTEMBER 1993 1. SHORT...obtained from the previous expression for B•(w,4’,v,,,,) for the TMz case with &,e,, replaced by vih .. The limit in (21) should be taken taking into

In graphene, combined with the real spin degree of freedom, which exhibits SU(2) symmetry, the total internal degrees of freedom of graphene carriers is thus described by a larger SU(4) symmetry, which produces a richer space for potential phenomena of emergent correlated electron phenomena. The major part of this proposal is exploring this unique multicomponent correlated system in the quantum limit. In the current period of DOE BES support we have made several key advances that will serve as a foundation for the new studies in this proposal. Employing the high-mobility encapsulated graphene heterostructures developed during the current phase of research, we have investigated spin and valley quantum Hall ferromagnetism in graphene and discovered a spin phase transition leading to a quantum spin Hall analogue. We have also observed the fractal quantum Hall effect arising from the Hofstadter’s butterfly energy spectrum. In addition, we have discovered multiband transport phenomena in bilayer graphene at high carrier densities.

The Power Electronics team at the University of Central Florida (UCF) has developed a novel three-phase micro-inverter for photovoltaic (PV) distributed applications. Based on a new advanced topology and control methodology, the developed inverter is small in size, and achieved DoE targeted power density, cost and efficiency specifications. Today’s inverters are widely used in PV based energy harvesting systems, but are based on single-phase design with limited application to large installations. These micro-inverters have been shown to have advantageous over their string inverter counterparts in both grid-tied PV energy harvesting and standalone micro-grid systems with energy storage. Some of these are simplified installation, no high voltage DC wiring, no single point of failure and improved energy harvesting. Several patents have been issued and this new solar conversion technology has been licensed to the private sector.

... Border Protection (CBP) at the port of entry/ exit or mailed to the Commissioner of Customs in Washington, DC. There are no electronic filing capabilities at the ports. A CBP contractor keys the data on the... federal regulator. This same electronic connectivity may be used to file BSA reports with FinCEN...

Tasks on LANL Contract No. 9-X66-W2078-1 were completed on December 31, 1987, ahead of schedule. Major experimental results are reported in the two publications attached as Appendix A and Appendix B. Another publication summarizing additional experiments is in preparation by C. Ekdahl of Los Alamos National Laboratory. A copy of the contract work statement is included as Appendix C.

This report discusses the following topics: The generation rate of ECH triggered runaway electrons; space- and time-resolved measurements using free-free Bremsstrahlung; and wave propagation characteristics in the tokamak.

The project comprises three main tasks. They are (1) Develop, design, and fabricate sensors, (2) Develop, design, and fabricate test instruments, (3) Testing and data analysis. The milestone includes 17 sub-tasks for the 52-weeks project period, starting on May 1, 1998 and ending on April 30, 1999. As stated in the Application for Federal Assistance, Micronic intended to relocate to a new office by June of 1998. This decision was delayed, since the first partial payment was transferred on August 12, 1998. Micronic plans to relocate this November. A second Provisional Application for a US patent has been filed. Progress made during this period is reported.

This research addressed electron donar properties and radical reactions in coal. Solid residues from pyridine Soxhlet extractions of Pocahontas No. 3, Upper Freeport, Pittsburgh No. 8, Illinois No. 6 and Wyodak coals were exposed to 4-vinylpyridine vapors and swelled. All of the 4-vinylpyridine could not be removed under vacuum at 100{degree}C. Diffuse reflectance FTIR revealed the presence of poly-(4-vinylpyridine) in the Illinois No. 6 and Wyodak coals. EPR spectra displayed the loss of inertinite radicals in Upper Freeport, Illinois No. 6 and Wyodak residues after exposure to 4-vinylpyridine. There was little change in the vitrinite radical density or environment. The molecule N,N{prime}-Diphenyl-p-phenylene diamine (DPPD) was exposed to the solid residues from pyridine Soxhlet extractions of the above coals. Diffuse reflectance FTIR failed to detect the imine product from radical reaction with DPPD. EPR spectra displayed the loss of inertinite radicals in Upper Freeport and Wyodak residues. 7,7,8,8-Tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) and Tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) were deposited into coals in pyridine. FTIR indicated complete conversion of TCNQ to a material with a singly occupied LUMO. In TCNE the LUMO is about 30% occupied. TCNQ and TCNE were deposited into the pyridine extracts and residues of Illinois No. 6 and Pittsburgh No. 8 coals. Only a small amount of the TCNQ and TCNE displayed nitrile shifts in the IR spectrum of a material with an occupied LUMO. It has been concluded that TCNQ must be part of the aromatic stacks in coal and the TCNQ LUMO is part of an extended band.

The Electronic Maintenance Report forms allow Local Maintenance Providers (LMP) and other program staff to enter maintenance information into a simple and secure system. This document describes the features and information required to complete the Maintenance Report forms. It is expected that all Corrective Maintenance Reports from LMPs will be submitted electronically into the SLD Portal. As an exception (e.g., when access to the SLD Portal is unavailable), Maintenance Reports can be submitted via a secure Adobe PDF form available through the Sustainability Manager assigned to each country.

Electron beam precharging of a high resistivity aerosol was successfully demonstrated during this reporting period (Quarters Five and Six). The initial E-beam particle precharging experiments completed this term were designed to confirm and extend some of the work performed under the previous contract. There are several reasons for doing this: (1) to re-establish a baseline performance criterion for comparison to other runs, (2) to test several recently upgraded or repaired subsystems, and (3) to improve upon the collection efficiency of the electron beam precipitator when testing precharging effectiveness with a very high resistivity, moderate-to-high concentration dust load. In addition, these shakedown runs were used to determine a set of suitable operational parameters for the wind tunnel, the electrostatic collecting sections, and the MINACC E-beam accelerator. These parameters will generally be held constant while the precharging parameters are varied to produce an optimum particle charge.

Health care providers are legally obliged to report cases of specified diseases to public health authorities, but existing manual, provider-initiated reporting systems generally result in incomplete, error-prone, and tardy information flow. Automated laboratory-based reports are more likely accurate and timely, but lack clinical information and treatment details. Here, we describe the Electronic Support for Public Health (ESP) application, a robust, automated, secure, portable public health detection and messaging system for cases of notifiable diseases. The ESP application applies disease specific logic to any complete source of electronic medical data in a fully automated process, and supports an optional case management workflow system for case notification control. All relevant clinical, laboratory and demographic details are securely transferred to the local health authority as an HL7 message. The ESP application has operated continuously in production mode since January 2007, applying rigorously validated case identification logic to ambulatory EMR data from more than 600,000 patients. Source code for this highly interoperable application is freely available under an approved open-source license at http://esphealth.org. PMID:18952940

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or we) is amending its postmarketing safety reporting regulations for human drug and biological products to require that persons subject to mandatory reporting requirements submit safety reports in an electronic format that FDA can process, review, and archive. FDA is taking this action to improve the Agency's systems for collecting and analyzing postmarketing safety reports. The change will help the Agency to more rapidly review postmarketing safety reports, identify emerging safety problems, and disseminate safety information in support of FDA's public health mission. In addition, the amendments will be a key element in harmonizing FDA's postmarketing safety reporting regulations with international standards for the electronic submission of safety information.

The Department of Energy and its contractors store and process massive quantities of sensitive information to accomplish national security, energy, science, and environmental missions. Sensitive unclassified data, such as personally identifiable information (PII), official use only, and unclassified controlled nuclear information require special handling and protection to prevent misuse of the information for inappropriate purposes. Industry experts have reported that more than 203 million personal privacy records have been lost or stolen over the past three years, including information maintained by corporations, educational institutions, and Federal agencies. The loss of personal and other sensitive information can result in substantial financial harm, embarrassment, and inconvenience to individuals and organizations. Therefore, strong protective measures, including data encryption, help protect against the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information. Prior reports involving the loss of sensitive information have highlighted weaknesses in the Department's ability to protect sensitive data. Our report on Security Over Personally Identifiable Information (DOE/IG-0771, July 2007) disclosed that the Department had not fully implemented all measures recommended by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and required by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to protect PII, including failures to identify and encrypt PII maintained on information systems. Similarly, the Government Accountability Office recently reported that the Department had not yet installed encryption technology to protect sensitive data on the vast majority of laptop computers and handheld devices. Because of the potential for harm, we initiated this audit to determine whether the Department and its contractors adequately safeguarded sensitive electronic information. The Department had taken a number of steps to improve protection of PII. Our review, however

Full Text Available Following the implementation of electronic nursing records in a psychogeriatric ward, we examined nursing staff's attitudes and perceptions to the implementation of an electronic handover routine. A web-based anonymous and secure questionnaire was distributed by e-mail to all nursing staff at a psychogeriatric ward at a university hospital. Most respondents were satisfied with the electronic handover, and they believed they managed to keep informed by the new routine. The simultaneous introduction of a morning meeting, to ensure a forum for oral professional discussion, was a success. A minority of staff did not fully trust the information conveyed in the electronic handover, and a significant proportion expressed a need for guidance in using the system. Staff that had a high level of trust in written reports believed these saved time, had little trouble finding time and a place to read the reports, and were more positive to the new handover routine.

Mobile devices are increasingly being used for data collection in research. However, many researchers do not have experience in collecting data electronically. Hence, the purpose of this short report was to identify issues that emerged in a study that incorporated electronic capture of patient-reported outcomes in clinical settings, and strategies used to address the issues. The issues pertaining to electronic patient-reported outcome data collection were captured qualitatively during a study on use of electronic patient-reported outcomes in two home dialysis units. Fifty-six patients completed three surveys on tablet computers, including the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-36, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, and a satisfaction measure. Issues that arose throughout the research process were recorded during ethics reviews, implementation process, and data collection. Four core issues emerged including logistics of technology, security, institutional and financial support, and electronic design. Although use of mobile devices for data collection has many benefits, it also poses new challenges for researchers. Advance consideration of possible issues that emerge in the process, and strategies that can help address these issues, may prevent disruption and enhance validity of findings.

Power electronics that use high-temperature devices pose a challenge for thermal management. With the devices running at higher temperatures and having a smaller footprint, the heat fluxes increase from previous power electronic designs. This project overview presents an approach to examine and design thermal management strategies through cooling technologies to keep devices within temperature limits, dissipate the heat generated by the devices and protect electrical interconnects and other components for inverter, converter, and charger applications. This analysis, validation, and demonstration intends to take a multi-scale approach over the device, module, and system levels to reduce size, weight, and cost.

and scanning electron microscopy did not reveal significant differences between the vegetative motile cells; however, cells about to undergo mitosis developed longitudinal grooves on the hypocone in one of the clades but not in the other. Both clades differed substantially from A. britannicum in partial large...

This final report summarizes the last three years of research on the development of advanced linear electron accelerators that utilize dielectric wave-guide vacuum channels pumped by high energy laser fields to accelerate beams of electrons.

This report summarizes a 2011 workshop that addressed the potential role of rapid, time-resolved electron microscopy measurements in accelerating the solution of important scientific and technical problems. A series of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Academy of Science workshops have highlighted the critical role advanced research tools play in addressing scientific challenges relevant to biology, sustainable energy, and technologies that will fuel economic development without degrading our environment. Among the specific capability needs for advancing science and technology are tools that extract more detailed information in realistic environments (in situ or operando) at extreme conditions (pressure and temperature) and as a function of time (dynamic and time-dependent). One of the DOE workshops, Future Science Needs and Opportunities for Electron Scattering: Next Generation Instrumentation and Beyond, specifically addressed the importance of electron-based characterization methods for a wide range of energy-relevant Grand Scientific Challenges. Boosted by the electron optical advancement in the last decade, a diversity of in situ capabilities already is available in many laboratories. The obvious remaining major capability gap in electron microscopy is in the ability to make these direct in situ observations over a broad spectrum of fast (µs) to ultrafast (picosecond [ps] and faster) temporal regimes. In an effort to address current capability gaps, EMSL, the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, organized an Ultrafast Electron Microscopy Workshop, held June 14-15, 2011, with the primary goal to identify the scientific needs that could be met by creating a facility capable of a strongly improved time resolution with integrated in situ capabilities. The workshop brought together more than 40 leading scientists involved in applying and/or advancing electron microscopy to address important scientific problems of relevance to DOE’s research

Full Text Available The article is devoted to audit and oversight of systems of electronic money on the basis of integrated reporting of banks as main participants of such systems. The author offers for the first time methods of composition of integrated bank reporting – participants of systems of electronic money by parts, on the basis of which the auditors can assess and form opinions on social responsibility of payment organisations, interests of the society, business and state in the process of the use of an individual payment means. The author analyses definitions of oversight (observation over payment systems and systems of electronic money. Moreover, it offers methods of carrying out an audit of systems of electronic money by data of integrated bank reporting, on the basis of which assessment of influence of the use of this form of money funds upon bank employees, society in general and upon ensuring observation of rules of the current legislation by participants of systems of electronic money is carried out.

To track linear accelerator performance issues, an online event recording system was developed in-house for use by therapists and physicists to log the details of technical problems arising on our institution's four linear accelerators. In use since October 2010, the system was designed so that all clinical physicists would receive email notification when an event was logged. Starting in October 2012, we initiated a pilot project in collaboration with our linear accelerator vendor to explore a new model of service and support, in which event notifications were also sent electronically directly to dedicated engineers at the vendor's technical help desk, who then initiated a response to technical issues. Previously, technical issues were reported by telephone to the vendor's call center, which then disseminated information and coordinated a response with the Technical Support help desk and local service engineers. The purpose of this work was to investigate the improvements to clinical operations resulting from this new service model. The new and old service models were quantitatively compared by reviewing event logs and the oncology information system database in the nine months prior to and after initiation of the project. Here, we focus on events that resulted in an inoperative linear accelerator ("down" machine). Machine downtime, vendor response time, treatment cancellations, and event resolution were evaluated and compared over two equivalent time periods. In 389 clinical days, there were 119 machine-down events: 59 events before and 60 after introduction of the new model. In the new model, median time to service response decreased from 45 to 8 min, service engineer dispatch time decreased 44%, downtime per event decreased from 45 to 20 min, and treatment cancellations decreased 68%. The decreased vendor response time and reduced number of on-site visits by a service engineer resulted in decreased downtime and decreased patient treatment cancellations.

This document describes a free-electron laser (FEL) proposed as part of the Chemical Dynamics Research Laboratory (CDRL), a user facility that also incorporates several advanced lasers of conventional design and two beamlines for the ALS. The FEL itself addresses the needs of the chemical sciences community for a high-brightness, tunable source covering a broad region of the infrared spectrum -- from 3 to 50 {mu}m. All of these sources, together with a variety of sophisticated experimental stations, will be housed in a new building to be located adjacent to the ALS. The radiation sources can be synchronized to permit powerful two-color, pump-probe experiments that will further our fundamental understanding of chemical dynamics at the molecular level, especially those aspects relevant to practical issues in combustion chemistry. The technical approach adopted in this design makes use of superconducting radiofrequency (SCRF) accelerating structures. The primary motivation for adopting this approach was to meet the user requirement for wavelength stability equal to one part in 10{sup 4}. Previous studies concluded that a wavelength stability of only one part in 10{sup 3} could be achieved with currently available room-temperature technology. In addition, the superconducting design operates in a continuous-wave (cw) mode and hence offers considerably higher average optical output power. It also allows for various pulse-gating configurations that will permit simultaneous multiuser operations. A summary of the comparative performance attainable with room-temperature and superconducting designs is given. The FEL described in this report provides a continuous train of 30-ps micropulses, with 100{mu}J of optical energy per micropulse, at a repetition rate of 6.1 MHz. The device can also deliver pulses at a cw repetition rate of 12.2 MHz, with a peak power of 50 {mu}J per micropulse. 70 ref.

The status of the programs and projects of the Electronics Division is reported for the period of June through December 1977. The presentation is divided into three sections: Research, Engineering Support, and Technical Services. Each of these sections presents the activities and accomplishments of the corresponding branch within the Division. The primary goal of the Research and Development branch is to advance technology for future applications. The primary goal of the Engineering Support branch is to apply advanced technology to laboratory and material problems. The primary goal of the Technical Services branch is to provide a technical base and support for Laboratory programs. These goals are reflected in this report. Among the subject areas included are the following: radiation detectors, temperature monitoring, electromagnetic probing, Josephson junction switching devices, fiber optics, high-temperature electronics, HVAC systems, microprocessors, fuel cell-powered vehicles, laser fusion.

The objective of this project was to demonstrate proof of concept of a thin film field emission electron source based on electron tunneling between discrete metal islands on an insulating substrate. An electron source of this type should be more easily fabricated permitting the use of a wider range of materials, and be less prone to damage and erratic behavior than the patterned field emitter arrays currently under development for flat panel displays and other vacuum microelectronic applications. This report describes the results of the studies of electron and light emission from such structures, and the subsequent discovery of a source of light emission from conductive paths across thin insulating gaps of the semiconductor-insulator-semiconductor (SIS) and metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structures. The substrates consisted of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide on silicon wafers, Kapton{reg_sign}, quartz, and cut slabs of silica aerogels. The conductive film samples were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and sputtering, while the MIS and SIS samples were prepared by CVD followed by cleaving, grinding, mechanical indentation, erosion by a sputter Auger beam, electrical arcing and chemical etching. Electron emission measurements were conducted in high and ultra high vacuum systems at SNL, NM as well as at SNL, CA. Optical emission measurements were made in air under an optical microscope as well as in the above vacuum environments. Sample morphology was investigated using both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

... assurance that electronic signatures resist repudiation by the signatory. The Agency is extending the TSCA... disseminating information to the public. III. Description of Changes to Reporting Procedures This unit provides... share a draft submission within their organization, and more easily save a copy for their records or...

The Electronic Maintenance Report forms present a uniform dataset for analysis of Sustainability metrics. These forms collect readily minable data while allowing the attachment of site-specific checklists or other supporting files for review by the Sustainability Manager and Program Management.

This is the second progress report on the demonstration of a prototype hydrogen sensor and electronics package. It goes into detail about the five tasks, four of which are already completed as of August 2016, with the final to be completed by January 26, 2017. Then the budget is detailed along with the planned work for May 27, 2016 to July 27, 2016.

... Programs; and Part 272--Approved State Hazardous Waste Management Programs. FDEP was notified of EPA's... AGENCY Cross-Media ElectronicReporting: Authorized Program Revision Approval, State of Florida AGENCY... State of Florida's request ] to revise/modify certain of its EPA-authorized programs to allow...

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The Department of Energy and its contractors store and process massive quantities of sensitive information to accomplish national security, energy, science, and environmental missions. Sensitive unclassified data, such as personally identifiable information (PII), official use only, and unclassified controlled nuclear information require special handling and protection to prevent misuse of the information for inappropriate purposes. Industry experts have reported that more than 203 million personal privacy records have been lost or stolen over the past three years, including information maintained by corporations, educational institutions, and Federal agencies. The loss of personal and other sensitive information can result in substantial financial harm, embarrassment, and inconvenience to individuals and organizations. Therefore, strong protective measures, including data encryption, help protect against the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information. Prior reports involving the loss of sensitive information have highlighted weaknesses in the Department's ability to protect sensitive data. Our report on Security Over Personally Identifiable Information (DOE/IG-0771, July 2007) disclosed that the Department had not fully implemented all measures recommended by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and required by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to protect PII, including failures to identify and encrypt PII maintained on information systems. Similarly, the Government Accountability Office recently reported that the Department had not yet installed encryption technology to protect sensitive data on the vast majority of laptop computers and handheld devices. Because of the potential for harm, we initiated this audit to determine whether the Department and its contractors adequately safeguarded sensitive electronic information. The Department had taken a number of steps to improve protection of PII. Our review, however

The efficacy and safety of biologic treatments have been established in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, but there are few reports on biologic therapy for patients with psoriasis complicated by end-stage renal failure on hemodialysis (HD). In this report, we demonstrated the efficacy and safety of adalimumab for patients with severe psoriasis on HD. A 46-year-old Japanese man with a 14-year history of psoriasis was referred to our clinic in September 2009. He had developed hypertension and renal failure during a 7-year history of cyclosporin treatment. With the infliximab treatment, he achieved 75% improvement of the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score within 3 months from the PASI of 42.3 before the treatment. However, his renal failure gradually deteriorated, and HD was initiated at 1 year after the introduction of infliximab. Because of hydration during the i.v. injection of infliximab, he developed pulmonary edema with every infliximab treatment after starting HD. We switched to ustekinumab treatment, but his psoriasis was not improved. Then, we switched to adalimumab and achieved a PASI-100 response within 2 months. The patient received adalimumab treatment for more than a year without any adverse effects. In addition to our case, five articles reported cases of psoriasis patients with renal failure on HD who were treated with biologics. The psoriatic lesions were improved by biologics in these cases, and no severe adverse effects on the renal function were reported. Thus, biologics are a reasonable treatment option for patients with severe psoriasis with renal failure on HD.

An experimental electronic dissemination project, the Langley Technical Report Server (LTRS), has been undertaken to determine the feasibility of delivering Langley technical reports directly to the desktops of researchers worldwide. During the first six months, over 4700 accesses occurred and over 2400 technical reports were distributed. This usage indicates the high level of interest that researchers have in performing literature searches and retrieving technical reports at their desktops. The initial system was developed with existing resources and technology. The reports are stored as files on an inexpensive UNIX workstation and are accessible over the Internet. This project will serve as a foundation for ongoing projects at other NASA centers that will allow for greater access to NASA technical reports.

The final report describes studies over a 13 year period having to do with photoinduced electron transfer for active chromophores and redox agents, including assembly of the components in water soluble polymers or polypeptides. The findings include observation of long range charge separation and electron transport using laser phototransient spectroscopy. The systems targeted in these studies include peptide assemblies for which helical conformations and aggregation are documented. Oligomeric peptides modified with non-native redox active groups were also selected for investigation. Highly charged polymers or peptides were investigated as host agents that resemble proteins. The overall goal of these investigations focused on the design and characterization of systems capable of artificial photosynthesis.

Previous studies found that the forkhead transcription factor 2 (FOXL2) gene mutations are responsible for both types of blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES) but have not established any systematic statistic model for the complex and even contradictory results about genotype-phenotype correlations between them. This study is aimed to find possible mutations of FOXL2 gene in a Chinese family with type II BPES by using DNA sequencing and to further clarify genotype-phenotype correlations between FOXL2 mutations and BPES by using a systematic statistical method, namely Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction (MDR). A novel mutation (g.933_965dup) which could result in an expansion of the polyalanine (polyAla) tract was detected in all patients of this family. MDR analysis for intragenic mutations of FOXL2 gene reported in previous BPES studies indicated that the mutations which led to much stronger disturbance of amino acid sequence were responsible for more type I BPES, while other kinds of mutation were responsible for more type II BPES. In conclusion, the present study found a novel FOXL2 gene mutation in a Chinese BPES family and a new general genotype-phenotype correlation tendency between FOXL2 intragenic mutations and BPES, both of which expanded the knowledge about FOXL2 gene and BPES.

Objectives This paper describes an evaluation study on the effectiveness of developing an in-hospital medical device safety information reporting system for managing safety information, including adverse incident data related to medical devices, following the enactment of the Medical Device Act in Korea. Methods Medical device safety information reports were analyzed for 190 cases that took place prior to the application of a medical device safety information reporting system and during a period when the reporting system was used. Also, questionnaires were used to measure the effectiveness of the medical device safety information reporting system. The analysis was based on the questionnaire responses of 15 reporters who submitted reports in both the pre- and post-reporting system periods. Results Sixty-two reports were submitted in paper form, but after the system was set up, this number more than doubled to 128 reports in electronic form. In terms of itemized reporting, a total of 45 items were reported. Before the system was used, 23 items had been reported, but this increased to 32 items after the system was put to use. All survey variables of satisfaction received a mean of over 3 points, while positive attitude, potential benefits, and positive benefits all exceeded 4 points, each receiving 4.20, 4.20, and 4.13, respectively. Among the variables, time-consuming and decision-making had the lowest mean values, each receiving 3.53. Satisfaction was found to be high for system quality and user satisfaction, but relatively low for time-consuming and decision-making. Conclusions We were able to verify that effective reporting and monitoring of adverse incidents and the safety of medical devices can be implemented through the establishment of an in-hospital medical device safety information reporting system that can enhance patient safety and medical device risk management. PMID:28523207

This paper describes an evaluation study on the effectiveness of developing an in-hospital medical device safety information reporting system for managing safety information, including adverse incident data related to medical devices, following the enactment of the Medical Device Act in Korea. Medical device safety information reports were analyzed for 190 cases that took place prior to the application of a medical device safety information reporting system and during a period when the reporting system was used. Also, questionnaires were used to measure the effectiveness of the medical device safety information reporting system. The analysis was based on the questionnaire responses of 15 reporters who submitted reports in both the pre- and post-reporting system periods. Sixty-two reports were submitted in paper form, but after the system was set up, this number more than doubled to 128 reports in electronic form. In terms of itemized reporting, a total of 45 items were reported. Before the system was used, 23 items had been reported, but this increased to 32 items after the system was put to use. All survey variables of satisfaction received a mean of over 3 points, while positive attitude, potential benefits, and positive benefits all exceeded 4 points, each receiving 4.20, 4.20, and 4.13, respectively. Among the variables, time-consuming and decision-making had the lowest mean values, each receiving 3.53. Satisfaction was found to be high for system quality and user satisfaction, but relatively low for time-consuming and decision-making. We were able to verify that effective reporting and monitoring of adverse incidents and the safety of medical devices can be implemented through the establishment of an in-hospital medical device safety information reporting system that can enhance patient safety and medical device risk management.

The use of electronic cigarettes has become increasingly popular with claims suggesting healthier alternatives to tobacco cigarettes. However, research regarding the safety of such devices has been limited to an analysis of the inhaled vapor and the short and long-term effects on the body. A lesser recognized risk of electronic cigarette use is that of lithium-ion battery failure causing ignition, leading to severe thermal injury. Such incidents have been reported in the media but with inconsistencies from a lack of focus on the injuries sustained and a cause of ignition. The cases presented here are among the first recognized thermal injuries sustained from electronic cigarette lithium-ion battery failure, the potential rationale for these failures, and a need for increased awareness of the safety hazards of these devices.

The Department of Energy has plans, during the next two or three years, to design an electron cooling section for the collider ring at RHIC (Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider) [1]. Located at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), RHIC is the premier nuclear physics facility. The new cooling section would be part of a proposed luminosity upgrade [2] for RHIC. This electron cooling section will be different from previouselectron cooling facilities in three fundamental ways. First, the electron energy will be 50 MeV, as opposed to 100's of keV (or 4 MeV for the electron cooling system now operating at Fermilab [3]). Second, both the electron beam and the ion beam will be bunched, rather than being essentially continuous. Third, the cooling will take place in a collider rather than in a storage ring. Analytical work, in combination with the use and further development of the semi-analytical codes BETACOOL [4,5] and SimCool [6,7] are being pursued at BNL [8] and at other laboratories around the world. However, there is a growing consensus in the field that high-fidelity 3-D particle simulations are required to fully understand the critical cooling physics issues in this new regime. Simulations of the friction coefficient, using the VORPAL code [9], for single gold ions passing once through the interaction region, have been compared with theoretical calculations [10,11], and the results have been presented in conference proceedings papers [8,12,13,14] and presentations [15,16,17]. Charged particles are advanced using a fourth-order Hermite predictor corrector algorithm [18]. The fields in the beam frame are obtained from direct calculation of Coulomb's law, which is more efficient than multipole-type algorithms for less than {approx} 10{sup 6} particles. Because the interaction time is so short, it is necessary to suppress the diffusive aspect of the ion dynamics through the careful use of positrons in the simulations, and to run 100's of simulations with

... From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Cross-Media ElectronicReporting Rule State Authorized Program Revision Approval: State of North...'s approval, under regulations for Cross-Media ElectronicReporting, of the State of North Carolina's...

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This is a report covering the research performed in the Crewe laboratory between 1964 and 1992. Because of limitations of space we have provided relatively brief summaries of the major research directions of the facility during these years. A complete bibliography has been included and we have referenced groups of pertinent publications at the beginning of each section. This report summarizes our efforts to develop better electron microscopes and chronicles many of the experimental programs, in materials science and biology, that acted both as a stimulus to better microscope design and also as a testing ground for many instrumental innovations.

In 2007, the Supreme Court heard a case that involved the question of whether a school district could be required to reimburse parents who unilaterally placed their child in private school when the child had not previously received special education and related services in a public institution ("Board of Education v. Tom F."). The…

The work in our laboratory for the past year can be characterized as having had considerable success in our work on theoretical electron optics and in the biological use of our existing microscopes, but, on the other hand, we have encountered considerable frustration in our attempts to complete the construction of the Sub Angstrom STEM. With regard to theoretical electron optics, we have continued to pursue lines of inquiry which were opened up to us as a result of our previous work on the correction of third order aberrations. While the experimental proof of the sextupole concept is still some distance away, the number of theoretical investigations we have conducted on the system indicate that it should be possible to make it work. The logical outcome of this is the realization that we ought to begin investigating other remaining limitations to the resolution of a STEM. These considerations led to some work that was done on the correction of the fifth order aberrations. Another study of equal importance was the investigation we made on the use of a sextupole corrector in a transmission microscope of conventional design and the results here look quite promising. Other theoretical studies include some work which has recently been started on methods of characterization of electron beams. The reason for this study is that under normal circumstances when an electron beam is generated in a canning microscope the resolution is atrocious and the shape of the focused spot of electrons is very poor. Further work has been done on three dimensional reconstruction with the general aim of improving the precision of reconstruction and also being able to do so in spite of the existence of noise. Biological work on the existing microscope has proceeded apace and a large number of investigations have been done. Although the principle effort has remained towards investigations of giant hemoglobins, other molecules have also been studied.

Objective Electronic laboratory reporting has been promoted as a public health priority. The Office of the U.S. National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has endorsed two coding systems: Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) for laboratory test orders and Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) for test results. Materials and Methods We examined LOINC and SNOMED CT code use in electronic laboratory data reported in 2011 by 63 non-federal hospitals to BioSense electronic syndromic surveillance system. We analyzed the frequencies, characteristics, and code concepts of test orders and results. Results A total of 14,028,774 laboratory test orders or results were reported. No test orders used SNOMED CT codes. To describe test orders, 77% used a LOINC code, 17% had no value, and 6% had a non-informative value, "OTH". Thirty-three percent (33%) of test results had missing or non-informative codes. For test results with at least one informative value, 91.8% had only LOINC codes, 0.7% had only SNOMED codes, and 7.4% had both. Of 108 SNOMED CT codes reported without LOINC codes, 45% could be matched to at least one LOINC code. Conclusion Missing or non-informative codes comprised almost a quarter of laboratory test orders and a third of test results reported to BioSense by non-federal hospitals. Use of LOINC codes for laboratory test results was more common than use of SNOMED CT. Complete and standardized coding could improve the usefulness of laboratory data for public health surveillance and response.

To examine the concordance between parent report and electronic medical record documentation of asthma health education provided during a single clinic visit and second-hand tobacco smoke exposure among children with asthma. Parents of children with asthma were recruited from two types of clinics using different electronic medical record systems: asthma-specialty or general pediatric health department clinics. After their child's outpatient visit, parents were interviewed by trained study staff. Interview data were compared to electronic medical records for agreement in five categories of asthma health education and for the child's environmental tobacco smoke exposure. Kappa statistics were used to identify strength of agreement. Chi square and t-tests were used to examine differences between clinic types. Of 255 parents participating in the study 90.6% were African American and 96.1% were female. Agreement was poor across all clinics but was higher within the asthma specialty clinics than the health department clinics for smoke exposure (κ = 0.410 versus 0.205), asthma diagnosis/disease process (κ = 0.213 versus -0.016) and devices reviewed (κ = 0.253 versus -0.089) with parents generally reporting more education provided. For the 203 children with complete medical records, 40.5% did not have any documentation regarding smoking exposure in the home and 85.2% did not have any documentation regarding exposure elsewhere. We found low concordance between the parent's report and the electronic medical record for smoke exposure and asthma education provided. Un- or under-documented smoke exposure and health education have the potential to affect continuity of care for pediatric patients with asthma.

This proposal describes the proposed renewal of a theoretical research program on the structure and reactivity of molecules adsorbed on transition metal surfaces. A new direction of the work extends investigations to interfaces between solid surfaces, adsorbates and aqueous solutions and includes fundamental work on photoinduced electron transport into chemisorbed species and into solution. The goal is to discover practical ways to reduce water to hydrogen and oxygen using radiation comparable to that available in the solar spectrum. The work relates to two broad subject areas: photocatalytic processes and production of hydrogen from water. The objective is to obtain high quality solutions of the electronic structure of adsorbate-metal-surface-solution systems so as to allow activation barriers to be calculated and reaction mechanisms to be determined. An ab initio embedding formalism provides a route to the required accuracy. New theoretical methods developed during the previous grant period will be implemented in order to solve the large systems involved in this work. Included is the formulation of a correlation operator that is used to treat localized electron distributions such as ionic or regionally localized distributions. The correlation operator which is expressed as a two-particle projector is used in conjunction with configuration interaction.

This proposal describes the proposed renewal of a theoretical research program on the structure and reactivity of molecules adsorbed on transition metal surfaces. A new direction of the work extends investigations to interfaces between solid surfaces, adsorbates and aqueous solutions and includes fundamental work on photoinduced electron transport into chemisorbed species and into solution. The goal is to discover practical ways to reduce water to hydrogen and oxygen using radiation comparable to that available in the solar spectrum. The work relates to two broad subject areas: photocatalytic processes and production of hydrogen from water. The objective is to obtain high quality solutions of the electronic structure of adsorbate-metal-surface-solution systems so as to allow activation barriers to be calculated and reaction mechanisms to be determined. An ab initio embedding formalism provides a route to the required accuracy. New theoretical methods developed during the previous grant period will be implemented in order to solve the large systems involved in this work. Included is the formulation of a correlation operator that is used to treat localized electron distributions such as ionic or regionally localized distributions. The correlation operator which is expressed as a two-particle projector is used in conjunction with configuration interaction.

The development of novel technologies for the safe and effective delivery of radiation is critical to advancing the field of radiation oncology. The Emerging Technology Committee of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology appointed a Task Group within its Evaluation Subcommittee to evaluate new electronic brachytherapy methods that are being developed for, or are already in, clinical use. The Task Group evaluated two devices, the Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System by Xoft, Inc. (Fremont, CA), and the Intrabeam Photon Radiosurgery Device by Carl Zeiss Surgical (Oberkochen, Germany). These devices are designed to deliver electronically generated radiation, and because of their relatively low energy output, they do not fall under existing regulatory scrutiny of radioactive sources that are used for conventional radioisotope brachytherapy. This report provides a descriptive overview of the technologies, current and future projected applications, comparison of competing technologies, potential impact, and potential safety issues. The full Emerging Technology Committee report is available on the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Web site.

The multi-faceted research effort of the EBIT (Electron Beam Ion Trap) program in N-Division of the Physics and Space Technology Department at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) continues to contribute significant results to the physical sciences from studies with low energy very highly charged heavy ions. The EBIT program attracts a number of collaborators from the US and abroad for the different projects. The collaborations are partly carried out through participating graduate students demonstrating the excellent educational capabilities at the LLNL EBIT facilities. Moreover, participants from Historically Black Colleges and Universities are engaged in the EBIT project. This report describes EBIT work for 1995 in atomic structure measurements and radiative transition probabilities, spectral diagnostics for laboratory and astrophysical plasmas, ion/surface interaction studies, electron-ion interactions studies, retrap and ion collisions, and instrumental development.

A report is presented of the 13th International Symposium on Electron Molecule Collisions Physics (Instituto de Fisica, Unicamp, Campinas, Brazil, 27 30 July 2005). This workshop covered low-energy electron interactions with atoms, molecules and condensed matter systems. Several important aspects of this symposium were to bring together theory and experimental advances in this field for gaseous targets as well as showcasing the increasing diversity of electron molecule collision applications in condensed matter and biological applications. A summary session was held wherein were discussed aspects of the future of the field, including the development of new theoretical and experimental capabilities.

This progress report consists of an article, the abstract of which follows, and apparently the references and vita from a proposal. A review of perturbation diagnostics applied to microwave resonant cavity discharges is presented. The classical microwave perturbation technique examines the shift in the resonant frequency and cavity quality factor of the resonant cavity caused by low electron density discharges. However, modifications presented here allow the analysis to be applied to discharges with electron densities beyond the limit predicted by perturbation theory. An {open_quote}exact{close_quote} perturbation analysis is presented which models the discharge as a separate dielectric, thereby removing the restrictions on electron density imposed by the classical technique. The {open_quote}exact{close_quote} method also uses measurements of the shifts in the resonant conditions of the cavity. Thirdly, an electromagnetic analysis is presented which uses a characteristic equation, based upon Maxwell`s laws, and predicts the discharge conductivity based upon measurements of a complex axial wave number. By allowing the axial wave number of the electromagnetic fields to be complex, the fields are experimentally and theoretically shown to be spatially attenuated. The diagnostics are applied to continuous-wave microwave (2.45 GHz) discharges produced in an Asmussen resonant cavity. Double Langmuir probes, placed directly in the discharge at the point where the radial electric field is zero, act as a comparison with the analytic diagnostics. Microwave powers ranging from 30 to 100 watts produce helium and nitrogen discharges with pressures ranging from 0.5 to 6 torr. Analysis of the data predicts electron temperatures from 5 to 20 eV, electron densities from 10{sup 11} to 3 {times} 10{sup 12} cm{sup {minus}3}, and collision frequencies from 10{sup 9} to 10{sup 11} sec{sup {minus}1}.

The Healthcare Financial Management Association through its Principles and Practices (P&P) Board publishes issue analyses to provide short-term practical assistance on emerging issues in healthcare financial management. In a new issue analysis excerpted in this article, HFMA's P&P Board provides some clarity to the healthcare industry on certain accounting and reporting issues resulting from incentive payments under the Medicare program for the meaningful use of electronic health record (EHR) technology. Consultation on these matters with independent auditors is highly recommended.

近年来随着分子生物学研究的不断深入，靶向治疗成为当前肺癌治疗的趋势。目前肺癌个体化的最佳治疗效果日益受到重视，棘皮动物微管相关蛋白4-间变型淋巴瘤激酶（echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 4 anaplastic lymphoma kinase, EML4-ALK）融合基因作为新兴生物标记物是当前肺癌治疗领域研究热点。与此同时，随着抗肿瘤治疗水平的不断提高，生存期明显延长，发生多原发癌（multiple primary carcinomas, MPC）的机会增多。EML4-ALK融合基因阳性的肺腺癌合并淋巴瘤发生于同一患者文献报道罕见。本文报道1例ALK融合基因阳性的非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）合并淋巴瘤病例，同时对异时性肺癌合并淋巴瘤的文献进行复习。%In recent years, with the deepening of the research of molecular biology, targeted therapy has become one of the trend of lung cancer treatment. hTe individualized treatment of lung cancer is attached great importance at present. Echinoderm microtubule associated protein like 4 anaplastic lymphoma kinase (EML4-ALK) as a new biological marker is a hot topic in the ifeld of lung cancer treatment. Meanwhile, with the improvement of anticancer treatment and survival, the inci-dence of multiple primary carcinomas (MPC) has become increasingly. But the report that malignant lymphoma complicated with lung adenocarcinoma harboring EML4-ALK fusion gene in one individual is rare. Here, we report an EML4-ALK positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a patient previously diagnosed with T cell lymphoma and review literature on meta-chronous lung cancer complicating with lymphoma.

The goal of this particular task is to consider, for the first time, the explicit transport of beta particles and photon-generated electrons in the series of six phantoms developed by Cristy and Eckerman (1987) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In their report, ORNL/TM-8381, specific absorbed fractions of energy are reported for phantoms representing the newborn (3.4 kg), the one-year-old (9.8 kg), the five-year-old (19 kg), the ten-year-old (32 kg), the fifteen-year-old/adult female (55-58 kg), and the adult male (70 kg). Radiation transport calculations were performed with the Monte Carlo code ALGAMP which allows photon transport only. In subsequent calculations of radionuclide S values as is done in the MIRDOSE2 computer program, electron absorbed fractions are thus considered to be either unity or zero depending upon whether the source region does or does not equal the target region, respectively.

This is the final report for a DOE funded project on BIOSCI Electronic Newsgroup Network for the biological sciences. A usable network for scientific discussion, major announcements, problem solving, etc. has been created.

This report is a summary of the Review Panel at the FY06 DOE FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies (FCVT) Annual Review of Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machine (APEEM) research activities held on August 15-17, 2006.

The health effects caused by electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use are not well understood. Our purpose was to document the positive and negative short-term health effects produced by e-cigarette use through an analysis of original posts from three online e-cigarettes forums. Data were collected into Microsoft Access databases and analyzed using Cytoscape association graphics, frequency distributions, and interactomes to determine the number and type of health effects reported, the organ systems affected the frequency of specific effects, and systems interactions. A total of 405 different symptoms due to e-cigarette use were reported from three forums. Of these, 78 were positive, 326 were negative, and one was neutral. While the reported health effects were similar in all three forums, the forum with the most posts was analyzed in detail. Effects, which were reported for 12 organ systems/anatomical regions, occurred most often in the mouth and throat and in the respiratory, neurological, sensory, and digestive systems. Users with negative symptoms often reported more than one symptom, and in these cases interactions were often seen between systems, such as the circulatory and neurological systems. Positive effects usually occurred singly and most frequently affected the respiratory system. This is the first compilation and analysis of the health effects reported by e-cigarette users in online forums. These data show that e-cigarette use can have wide ranging positive and negative effects and that online forums provide a useful resource for examining how e-cigarette use affects health.

Pathology reports represent a rich data source for cancer registries. The College of American Pathologists (CAP) Cancer Checklists present pathology reports in synoptic form and allow registries to be updated electronically. To assess the challenge of employing the CAP Cancer Checklists in pathology laboratories and transmitting that information to cancer registries, we conducted a pilot project: the Reporting Pathology Protocols project (RPP2). The RPP2 project was a multi-year, "proof of concept" demonstration that assessed pathology report-generated data for 3 CAP Cancer Checklists (breast, prostate, and melanoma) in several different cancer registry-pathology laboratory combinations in 3 states. Collaborating pathology laboratories and state cancer registries in California, Maine, and Pennsylvania identified key questions (queries) to address in the course of the project, developed and tested standardized HL7 messaging specifications to link senders and recipients, and then assessed the actual process results using either parallel reporting or retrospective-prospective cases for each tumor type. Successful electronic transfer and capture of pertinent data elements for numerous examples of each tumor type was accomplished in each participating cancer registry/reporting laboratory/information system combination. We noted shortcomings in the electronically encoded CAP Checklists as opposed to text-based reports, particularly for breast cancers. We uncovered opportunities to improve Checklists and the information systems that incorporate them. Workflow, productivity, and timeliness of reporting are areas where electronically encoded reports may enhance cancer registry processes. The accuracy and completeness of electronically encoded data appears largely comparable to text-based data, but subject to the degree of synchrony between the formats of text-based and electronicreports.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Clinicians view the accuracy of test results and the turnaround time as the two most important service aspects of the clinical microbiology laboratory. Because of the time needed for the culturing of infectious agents, final hardcopy culture results will often be available too late to have a significant impact on early antimicrobial therapy decisions, vital in infectious disease management. The clinical microbiologist therefore reports to the clinician clinically relevant preliminary results at any moment during the diagnostic process, mostly by telephone. Telephone reporting is error prone, however. Electronicreporting of culture results instead of reporting on paper may shorten the turnaround time and may ensure correct communication of results. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of the implementation of electronicreporting of final microbiology results on medical decision making. Methods In a pre- and post-interview study using a semi-structured design we asked medical specialists in our hospital about their use and appreciation of clinical microbiology results reporting before and after the implementation of an electronicreporting system. Results Electronicreporting was highly appreciated by all interviewed clinicians. Major advantages were reduction of hardcopy handling and the possibility to review results in relation to other patient data. Use and meaning of microbiology reports differ significantly between medical specialties. Most clinicians need preliminary results for therapy decisions quickly. Therefore, after the implementation of electronicreporting, telephone consultation between clinician and microbiologist remained the key means of communication. Conclusions Overall, electronicreporting increased the workflow efficiency of the medical specialists, but did not have an impact on their decision-making.

Of the 27 individuals, 25 had negative effects subsequent to use or exposure to ECs and their refill fluids, while two reported improvement in chronic immune and gastrointestinal conditions. Three categories of negative health effects were identified: systemic effects, nicotine poisoning, and mechanical injury. Thirteen cases reported EC effects on different systems including: respiratory (6, gastrointestinal or developing intestine of an infant (3, cardiovascular (2, neurological (1, and immune (1. Twelve cases involved nicotine poisoning resulting from accidental (N = 3, misuse/abuse (N = 1, or suicidal/intentional ingestion (N = 8; four of these involved children and three resulted in adult fatalities. Two cases reported mechanical injury caused by an EC battery explosion. Most case reports show that the health of children and adults can be negatively affected by EC products and that if death does not occur, negative effects can be reversed. Data further indicate that EC use can cause negative health effects in previously healthy individuals and exacerbate pre-existing conditions.

For nearly a decade, interest groups, from politicians to economists to physicians, have touted digitization of the nation's health information. One frequently mentioned benefit is the transmission of information electronically from laboratories to public health personnel, allowing them to rapidly analyze and act on these data. Switching from paper to electronic laboratory reports (ELRs) was thought to solve many public health surveillance issues, including workload, accuracy, and timeliness. However, barriers remain for both laboratories and public health agencies to realize the full benefits of ELRs. The New York City experience highlights several successes and challenges of electronicreporting and is supported by peer-reviewed literature. Lessons learned from ELR systems will benefit efforts to standardize electronic medical records reporting to health departments.

This report is an update on the research project involving the implementation of a DSP based power electronics interface for alternate/renewable energy systems that was funded by the Department of Energy under the Inventions and Innovations program 1998. The objective of this research is to develop a utility interface (dc to ac converter) suitable to interconnect alternate/renewable energy sources to the utility system. The DSP based power electronics interface in comparison with existing methods will excel in terms of efficiency, reliability and cost. Moreover DSP-based control provides the flexibility to upgrade/modify control algorithms to meet specific system requirements. The proposed interface will be capable of maintaining stiffness of the ac voltages at the point of common coupling regardless of variation in the input dc bus voltage. This will be achieved without the addition of any extra components to the basic interface topology but by inherently controlling the inverter switching strategy in accordance to the input voltage variation.

The role of synthetic instruments (SIs) for Component-Level Electronic-Assembly Repair (CLEAR) is to provide an external lower-level diagnostic and functional test capability beyond the built-in-test capabilities of spacecraft electronics. Built-in diagnostics can report faults and symptoms, but isolating the root cause and performing corrective action requires specialized instruments. Often a fault can be revealed by emulating the operation of external hardware. This implies complex hardware that is too massive to be accommodated in spacecraft. The SI strategy is aimed at minimizing complexity and mass by employing highly reconfigurable instruments that perform diagnostics and emulate external functions. In effect, SI can synthesize an instrument on demand. The SI architecture section of this document summarizes the result of a recent program diagnostic and test needs assessment based on the International Space Station. The SI architecture addresses operational issues such as minimizing crew time and crew skill level, and the SI data transactions between the crew and supporting ground engineering searching for the root cause and formulating corrective actions. SI technology is described within a teleoperations framework. The remaining sections describe a lab demonstration intended to show that a single SI circuit could synthesize an instrument in hardware and subsequently clear the hardware and synthesize a completely different instrument on demand. An analysis of the capabilities and limitations of commercially available SI hardware and programming tools is included. Future work in SI technology is also described.

We report on the status and plans of experiments now running or proposed for electron-positron colliders at energies between the $\\phi$ and the Z. The $e^{+}e^{-}$ B and charm factories we considered were PEP-II/BABAR, KEKB/Belle, superKEK, SuperBABAR, and CESR-c/CLEO-c. We reviewed the programs at the $\\phi$ factory at Frascati and the proposed PEP-N facility at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. We studied the prospects for B physics with a dedicated linear collider Z factory, associated with the TESLA high energy linear collider. In all cases, we compared the physics reach of these facilities with that of alternative experiments at hadron colliders or fixed target facilities.

The purpose of this document is to describe the following items: the approach, resources, and sequence of the testing activities; identifies the components and features to be tested; the personnel responsible for testing; the risks associated with this plan; and test cases and procedures. This document contains all test documentation for the SHARE system. The Search Hanford Accessible ReportsElectronically (SHARE) testing process is based upon WHC-CM-3-10, Software Practices, Section SP-3.3 REV 0, and Appendix J REV 0. These procedures and guidelines are based on IEEE Standard 829-1983. The planning in this document was further influenced through guidance in IEEE Standard 1012-1986. This document contains the System, Acceptance, Integration and Component Test Plans, Designs, Procedures, and Cases for SHARE. The Test Cases and procedures have been attached to the document.

Full Text Available Objectives: To assess the inclusion of the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Report (TDMR in the Electronic Clinical Record (ECR. Method: An observational ambispective cohort study with a duration of 149 days: PRE (retrospective, 49 days with the TDMR printed in paper, and POST (prospective, 100 days with the TDMR included in the ECR. Exclusion criteria: Patients not hospitalized, applications for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by Critical Care and Neonatal Units, as well as monitoring with an objective other than dose adjustment. Variables: Number of TDMRs prepared, number of patients admitted with TDMR, time of delay for treatment adjustment, defined as the number of adjustments made to the treatment within over or under 24 hours from the time of TDMR preparation, and medication errors (MEs associated with said delay, as well as the degree of acceptance of the TDMR. Results: 690 TDMRs were conducted in 391 patients, 339 in PRE (n = 206 and 351 in POST (n = 185. The number of treatment modifications made in under 24 hours increased from 73.9% in PRE to 87.3% in POST [RR = 1.2 (CI95% = 0.97-1.43. We identified 35 patients with ME, 9.7% of them in PRE and 8.1% in POST (RR = 0.84 (CI95% = 0.44-1.58]. The degree of acceptance of the pharmacist recommendation increased from 53.3% in PRE to 68.3% in POST [RR = 1.3 (CI95% = 1.02- 1.62]. Conclusions: The inclusion of the Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Report (TDMR in the Electronic Clinical Record increases the degree of acceptance of recommendations, and may reduce the delay in treatment modifications, reducing MEs and improving the process quality in terms of efficacy and safety

.9%). DNR and resuscitate were the most frequently used and power of attorney and advanced directives the least frequently used terms. Conclusion Dictated hospital reports frequently contained DNR order–related information for patients with a written DNR order. Using an uncomplicated keyword search, electronic screening of dictated reports yielded good accuracy for identifying patients with DNR order information. PMID:15187069

environment or as a complete propulsion system and whether the efficiency and performance targets at the vehicle level have been achieved. The research performed under this subprogram will help remove technical and cost barriers to enable the development of technology for use in such advanced vehicles as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in HEVs (PHEVs), all electric vehicles, and fuel-cell-powered automobiles that meet the goals of the Vehicle Technologies Program. A key element in making these advanced vehicles practical is providing an affordable electric traction drive system. This will require attaining weight, volume, and cost targets for the power electronics and electrical machines subsystems of the traction drive system. Areas of development include these: (1) novel traction motor designs that result in increased power density and lower cost; (2) inverter technologies involving new topologies to achieve higher efficiency, with the ability to accommodate higher-temperature environments while achieving high reliability; (3) converter concepts that employ means of reducing the component count and integrating functionality to decrease size, weight, and cost; (4) new onboard battery charging concepts that result in decreased cost and size; (5) more effective thermal control and packaging technologies; and (6) integrated motor/inverter concepts. ORNL's Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center conducts fundamental research, evaluates hardware, and assists in the technical direction of the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program, APEEM subprogram. In this role, ORNL serves on the FreedomCAR Electrical and Electronics Technical Team, evaluates proposals for DOE, and lends its technological expertise to the direction of projects and evaluation of developing technologies. ORNL also executes specific projects for DOE. The following report discusses those projects carried out in FY 2009 and conveys highlights of their accomplishments. Numerous project reviews

environment or as a complete propulsion system and whether the efficiency and performance targets at the vehicle level have been achieved. The research performed under this subprogram will help remove technical and cost barriers to enable the development of technology for use in such advanced vehicles as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in HEVs (PHEVs), all electric vehicles, and fuel-cell-powered automobiles that meet the goals of the Vehicle Technologies Program. A key element in making these advanced vehicles practical is providing an affordable electric traction drive system. This will require attaining weight, volume, and cost targets for the power electronics and electrical machines subsystems of the traction drive system. Areas of development include these: (1) novel traction motor designs that result in increased power density and lower cost; (2) inverter technologies involving new topologies to achieve higher efficiency, with the ability to accommodate higher-temperature environments while achieving high reliability; (3) converter concepts that employ means of reducing the component count and integrating functionality to decrease size, weight, and cost; (4) new onboard battery charging concepts that result in decreased cost and size; (5) more effective thermal control and packaging technologies; and (6) integrated motor/inverter concepts. ORNL's Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center conducts fundamental research, evaluates hardware, and assists in the technical direction of the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program, APEEM subprogram. In this role, ORNL serves on the FreedomCAR Electrical and Electronics Technical Team, evaluates proposals for DOE, and lends its technological expertise to the direction of projects and evaluation of developing technologies. ORNL also executes specific projects for DOE. The following report discusses those projects carried out in FY 2009 and conveys highlights of their accomplishments. Numerous project reviews

We report the recent research progress and future prospects of flexible and printed electronics, focusing on molecular electronic material-based thin-film transistors, which are expected to usher in a new era of electronics.

The Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 include strict regulations for reporting content, and it falls on the named director to ensure that this content is available to the caregiver. With the electronic health record serving as the conduit to the end user of the laboratory data, the laboratory generally, and the director specifically, must verify accurate transmission of these content components. An understanding of regulatory and accreditation requirements is essential both to allow the proper discharge of these mandated responsibilities and to enforce the role and authority that the pathologist must have to ensure that these requirements are satisfied by the reporting system. The regulatory requirements will be discussed in the context of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 standards; however, interpretation and expansion on these regulations exist both in Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 inspection guidelines from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and in accreditation program requirements. This regulatory expectation both places the laboratory director in a position of risk and provides leverage to ensure meaningful and accurate communication of laboratory information.

Electronic laboratory interfaces can significantly increase the value of ambulatory electronic health record (EHR) systems by providing laboratory result data automatically and in a computable form. However, many ambulatory EHRs cannot implement electronic laboratory interfaces despite the existence of messaging standards, such as Health Level 7, version 2 (HL7). Among several barriers to implementing laboratory interfaces is the extensive optionality within the HL7 message standard. This paper describes the rationale for and development of an HL7 implementation guide that seeks to eliminate most of the optionality inherent in HL7, but retain the information content required for reporting outpatient laboratory results. A work group of heterogeneous stakeholders developed the implementation guide based on a set of design principles that emphasized parsimony, practical requirements, and near-term adoption. The resulting implementation guide contains 93% fewer optional data elements than HL7. This guide was successfully implemented by 15 organizations during an initial testing phase and has been approved by the HL7 standards body as an implementation guide for outpatient laboratory reporting. Further testing is required to determine whether widespread adoption of the implementation guide by laboratories and EHR systems can facilitate the implementation of electronic laboratory interfaces.

Background Self-report is the most common and feasible method for assessing patient adherence to medication, but can be prone to recall bias and social desirability bias. Most studies assessing adherence to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have relied on self-report. In this study, we use a novel customised electronic monitoring device—termed smart blister packs—to examine the validity of self-reported adherence to artemether-lumefantrine (AL) in southern Tanzania. Methods Smart...

This is the final report for the Department of Energy (DOE) funded cooperative agreement ''Electronic Research Demonstration Project (DE-FC02-92ER35180)'' for the period August 1994-July 1998. The goal of the project, referred to as NewERA, was to demonstrate the use of open standards for electronic commerce to support research administration, otherwise referred to as Electronic Research Administration (ERA). The NewERA demonstration project provided a means to test interagency standards developed within the Federal Grant Electronic Commerce Committee, a group comprised of federal granting agencies. The NewERA program was initiated by DOE. NewERA was comprised of three separate, but related, ERA activities in preaward administration, postaward administration, and secure Internet commerce. The goal of New ERA was to demonstrate an open standard implementation of ERA using electronic data interchange, e-mail and Internet transaction security between grant applicants and DOE, along with t h e other participating agencies.

On September 23 and 24, 2014, EPA hosted a forum to “harness the collective power of the electronics community and identify shared priorities that will advance domestic end-of-life electronics management.

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: As the United States embraces electronic health records (EHRs, improved emergency medical services (EMS information systems are also a priority; however, little is known about the experiences of EMS agencies as they adopt and implement electronic patient care report (e-PCR systems. We sought to characterize motivations for adoption of e-PCR systems, challenges associated with adoption and implementation, and emerging implementation strategies. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured in-depth interviews with EMS agency leaders. Participants were recruited through a web-based survey of National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP members, a didactic session at the 2010 NAEMSP Annual Meeting, and snowball sampling. Interviews lasted approximately 30 minutes, were recorded and professionally transcribed. Analysis was conducted by a five-person team, employing the constant comparative method to identify recurrent themes. RESULTS: Twenty-three interviewees represented 20 EMS agencies from the United States and Canada; 14 EMS agencies were currently using e-PCR systems. The primary reason for adoption was the potential for e-PCR systems to support quality assurance efforts. Challenges to e-PCR system adoption included those common to any health information technology project, as well as challenges unique to the prehospital setting, including: fear of increased ambulance run times leading to decreased ambulance availability, difficulty integrating with existing hospital information systems, and unfunded mandates requiring adoption of e-PCR systems. Three recurring strategies emerged to improve e-PCR system adoption and implementation: 1 identify creative funding sources; 2 leverage regional health information organizations; and 3 build internal information technology capacity. CONCLUSION: EMS agencies are highly motivated to adopt e-PCR systems to support quality assurance efforts; however, adoption and

Objective is to perform a new type of measurement for optically excited electron transfer processes that can provide unique experimental insight into the molecular mechanism of electron transfer. Measurements of optically excited electron transfer are done with picosecond infrared (IR) absorption spectroscopy to monitor the vibrational motions of the molecules immediately after electron transfer. Theory and experiment suggest that molecular vibrations and distortions are important controlling elements for electron transfer, and direct information has yet to be obtained on these elements of electron transfer mechanisms. The second period of funding has been dedicated to finishing technique development and performing studies of electron transfer in ion pair systems to identify if vibrational dependent electron transfer rates are present in this system. We have succeeded in measuring, for the first time, electron transfer rates as a function of vibrational state in an ion pair complex in solution. In a different area of electron transfer research we have proposed a new mechanism of solvent gated electron transfer.

Along with the growth in popularity of electronic cigarette devices (e-cigs), the variety of e-cig liquids (e-liquid) available to users has also grown. Although some studies have published data about the use of flavored e-liquid, there is no standardized way to group flavors making it difficult to interpret the data and replicate results across studies. The current study describes a method to classify user-reported e-liquid flavors and presents the resulting proportion of users in each flavor group in a large online survey of e-cig users. 3,716participants completed an online survey about their e-cig use and responded to the following open-ended question regarding their use of e-liquid, "What is your favorite flavor and what brand of flavored liquid do you prefer?"Researchers used a 3 step method to determine the flavor attributes present in e-liquid reported using an online search engine. Once all flavor attributes were identified, researchers used the constant comparative method to group the flavor attributes and delineate how to classify flavors with mixed components (e.g., cinnamon Red Hots as a candy not a spice). The resulting classification scheme and proportions of e-liquids in each category were as follows: Tobacco (23.7%), Menthol/mint (14.8%), Fruit (20.3%), Dessert/sweets (20.7%), Alcohol (2.8%), Nuts/spices (2.0%), Candy (2.1%), Coffee/tea (4.3%), Beverage (3.1%), Unflavored (0.4%), Don't Know/Other (5.8%). To better understand the use of flavored e-liquids, standardized methods to classify the flavorscould facilitate data interpretation and comparison across studies. This study proposesa method for classifying the characterizing flavors in e-liquids used most commonly by experienced e-cig users. Current studies on the use of flavored e-liquid have used unclear methods to collect and report information on the use of flavors. This study adds a proposed method for classifying the flavors in the e-liquids used most commonly by experienced e-cig users

Electron clouds in accelerators such as the ILC degrade beam quality and limit operating efficiency. The need to mitigate electron clouds has a direct impact on the design and operation of these accelerators, translating into increased cost and reduced performance. Diagnostic techniques for measuring electron clouds in accelerating cavities are needed to provide an assessment of electron cloud evolution and mitigation. Accurate numerical modeling of these diagnostics is needed to validate the experimental techniques. In this Phase I, we developed detailed numerical models of microwave propagation through electron clouds in accelerating cavities with geometries relevant to existing and future high-intensity proton accelerators such as Project X and the ILC. Our numerical techniques and simulation results from the Phase I showed that there was a high probability of success in measuring both the evolution of electron clouds and the effects of non-uniform electron density distributions in Phase II.

The objective was to complete the design of an electron gun which utilizes a radio frequency (RF) power source to apply a voltage to a field emission (FE) cathode, a so called cold cathode, in order to produce an electron beam. The concept of the RF electron gun was originally conceived at Argonne National Laboratory but never reduced to practice. The research allowed the completion of the design based upon the integration of the FE electron source. Compared to other electron guns, the RF gun is very compact, less than one third the size of other comparable guns, and produces a high energy (to several MeV), high quality, high power electron beam with a long focal length with high repetition rates. The resultant electron gun may be used in welding, materials processing, analytical equipment and waste treatment.

Full Text Available According to models estimated separately for second-, third-, and fourth-birth rates in Norway, an increase took place from the mid-1970s to about 1990, given age and duration since last previous birth. A similar rise in the birth rates was seen in Sweden, except that the upturn at short durations was sharper. It is shown in this study, using Norwegian register data, that the increase partly reflects earlier changes in lower-order parity transitions. When models for each parity transition are estimated jointly, with a common unobserved factor included, there is no longer an upward trend in Norwegian second-birth rates, but a very weak decline, and the increase in the higher-order birth rates is strongly reduced compared to that found in the simpler approach.

This is a final summary report of the research conducted under DE-FG03-01ER45946, which was a research program using metal nanostructures to examine quantum coherence of electrons in normal and ferromagnetic metals. This program was the PI's first federal research grant, and by augmenting with other funds (Packard Foundation), this grant supported two graduate students during its duration. In normal metal nanostructures, quantum coherence was assessed by two independent techniques: weak localization magnetoresistance, and time-dependent universal conductance fluctuations (TDUCF noise). This work found that, in AuPd nanowires, the coherence information inferred from these two techniques were quantitatively consistent, even in the presence of magnetic impurity and phonon scattering. This confirmed theoretical expectations. However, in Ag and Au wires, the two techniques disagree, with noise measurements indicating a lower coherence length at low temperatures than weak localization. We have a candidate explanation for this, and are finishing these experiments. This work shows that subtleties remain in our understanding of coherence processes even in normal metals, particularly those involving the tunneling two-level systems that produce low frequency noise; this has relevance for quantum information processing implementations using metal devices. We have also studied time-dependent universal conductance fluctuations in ferromagnetic metals for the first time. The TDUCF in ferromagnetic nanowires show that the Cooperon channel of coherent processes is suppressed in these correlated materials. Furthermore, the surprisingly steep temperature dependence of the noise suggests that decoherence in these systems is through a different process than in normal metals. We are finishing measurements of ''magnetofingerprint'' conductance fluctuations in ferromagnetic metals to examine this unusual temperature dependence with an independent technique. This

Work related to this project introduced the idea of an effective monopole strength Q* that acted as the effective angular momentum of the lowest shell of composite Fermions (CF). This allowed us to predict the angular momentum of the lowest band of energy states for any value of the applied magnetic field simply by determining N{sub QP} the number of quasielectrons (QE) or quasiholes (QH) in a partially filled CF shell and adding angular momenta of the N{sub QP} Fermions excitations. The approach reported treated the filled CF level as a vacuum state which could support QE and QH excitations. Numerical diagonalization of small systems allowed us to determine the angular momenta, the energy, and the pair interaction energies of these elementary excitations. The spectra of low energy states could then be evaluated in a Fermi liquid-like picture, treating the much smaller number of quasiparticles and their interactions instead of the larger system of N electrons with Coulomb interactions.

technical targets for systems, subsystems, and component research and development activities; (2) Develop and validate individual subsystems and components, including electric motors, emission control devices, battery systems, power electronics, accessories, and devices to reduce parasitic losses; and (3) Determine how well the components and subsystems work together in a vehicle environment or as a complete propulsion system and whether the efficiency and performance targets at the vehicle level have been achieved. The research performed under the Vehicle Systems subprogram will help remove technical and cost barriers to enable the development of technology for use in such advanced vehicles as hybrid and fuel-cell-powered automobiles that meet the goals of the FreedomCAR Program. A key element in making hybrid electric vehicles practical is providing an affordable electric traction drive system. This will require attaining weight, volume, and cost targets for the power electronics and electrical machines subsystems of the traction drive system. Areas of development include these: (1) Novel traction motor designs that result in increased power density and lower cost; (2) Inverter technologies involving new topologies to achieve higher efficiency and the ability to accommodate higher-temperature environments; (3) Converter concepts that employ means of reducing the component count and integrating functionality to decrease size, weight, and cost; (4) More effective thermal control and packaging technologies; and (5) Integrated motor/inverter concepts. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center conducts fundamental research, evaluates hardware, and assists in the technical direction of the DOE Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program, Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Program. In this role, ORNL serves on the FreedomCAR Electrical and Electronics Technical Team, evaluates proposals for DOE

This research focuses on the following four areas: multi-electron transfer processes; coupled quantum/molecular dynamics studies of protein electron transfer; quantum mechanical studies of DNA electron transfer processes; and inverse design of new materials. A theory for two-electron transfer reactions in Debye solvents was developed. The electron transfer processes are described in terms of diffusional motion along a one-dimensional reaction coordinate with tunneling transitions at the intersection points of the parabolas. Coupled quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the role of secondary structure and small geometrical fluctuations on the long range electronic coupling in peptides. An inverse molecular design strategy was developed to assist in the development of new molecules with optimized properties.

Neolebouria capoori n. sp. (Opecoelidae: Plagioporinae) is described from the whitecheek monocle bream, Scolopsis vosmeri (Bloch) (Perciformes: Nemipteridae) from the Panjim coast on the central west coast of India at Goa. The new species differs from both Neolebouria cantherhini (Li, Qiu & Zhang, 1988) as originally described from Thamnaconus modestus (Günther) (syn. Cantherines modestus Günther ) and Neolebouria confusum (Overstreet, 1969) as originally described from Ocyurus chrysurus (Bloch) by having the cirrus sac surpassing the ventral sucker posteriorly in N. cantherhini and being entirely preacetabular in N. confusum compared to terminating near the midlevel of the ventral sucker in N. capoori n. sp. The new species is most similar to N. confusum, but it further differs from this species by having the vitelline fields terminating near the level of the esophageal bifurcation compared to terminating near the level of the posterior margin of the pharynx, a larger sucker ratio (1:1.7-1:2.0 compared to 1:1.4-1:1.7), a somewhat shorter cirrus sac relative to body length (160-448, representing 9-18% of the body length compared to about 367, representing 22%), and the egg of the new species has a boss at the anopercular end that is not present in N. confusum. This study represents the first report on an opecoelid from S. vosmeri. A review of the parasites reported from S. vosmeri is included.

School absenteeism is a common source of data used in syndromic surveillance, which can eventually be used for early outbreak detection. However, the absenteeism reporting system in most schools, especially in developing countries, relies on a paper-based method that limits its use for disease surveillance or outbreak detection. The objective of this study was to develop an electronic real-time reporting system on school absenteeism for syndromic surveillance. An electronic (Web-based) school absenteeism reporting system was developed to embed it within the normal routine process of absenteeism reporting. This electronic system allowed teachers to update students' attendance status via mobile tablets. The data from all classes and schools were then automatically sent to a centralized database for further analysis and presentation, and for monitoring temporal and spatial patterns of absent students. In addition, the system also had a disease investigation module, which provided a link between absenteeism data from schools and local health centers, to investigate causes of fever among sick students. The electronic school absenteeism reporting system was implemented in 7 primary schools in Bangkok, Thailand, with total participation of approximately 5000 students. During May-October 2012 (first semester), the percentage of absentees varied between 1% and 10%. The peak of school absenteeism (sick leave) was observed between July and September 2012, which coincided with the peak of dengue cases in children aged 6-12 years being reported to the disease surveillance system. The timeliness of a reporting system is a critical function in any surveillance system. Web-based application and mobile technology can potentially enhance the use of school absenteeism data for syndromic surveillance and outbreak detection. This study presents the factors that determine the implementation success of this reporting system.

Inconspicuous basidiomycetes from the order Sebacinales are known to be involved in a puzzling variety of mutualistic plant-fungal symbioses (mycorrhizae), which presumably involve transport of mineral nutrients. Recently a few members of this fungal order not fitting this definition and commonly referred to as 'endophytes' have raised considerable interest by their ability to enhance plant growth and to increase resistance of their host plants against abiotic stress factors and fungal pathogens. Using DNA-based detection and electron microscopy, we show that Sebacinales are not only extremely versatile in their mycorrhizal associations, but are also almost universally present as symptomless endophytes. They occurred in field specimens of bryophytes, pteridophytes and all families of herbaceous angiosperms we investigated, including liverworts, wheat, maize, and the non-mycorrhizal model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. They were present in all habitats we studied on four continents. We even detected these fungi in herbarium specimens originating from pioneering field trips to North Africa in the 1830s/40s. No geographical or host patterns were detected. Our data suggest that the multitude of mycorrhizal interactions in Sebacinales may have arisen from an ancestral endophytic habit by specialization. Considering their proven beneficial influence on plant growth and their ubiquity, endophytic Sebacinales may be a previously unrecognized universal hidden force in plant ecosystems.

Full Text Available Inconspicuous basidiomycetes from the order Sebacinales are known to be involved in a puzzling variety of mutualistic plant-fungal symbioses (mycorrhizae, which presumably involve transport of mineral nutrients. Recently a few members of this fungal order not fitting this definition and commonly referred to as 'endophytes' have raised considerable interest by their ability to enhance plant growth and to increase resistance of their host plants against abiotic stress factors and fungal pathogens. Using DNA-based detection and electron microscopy, we show that Sebacinales are not only extremely versatile in their mycorrhizal associations, but are also almost universally present as symptomless endophytes. They occurred in field specimens of bryophytes, pteridophytes and all families of herbaceous angiosperms we investigated, including liverworts, wheat, maize, and the non-mycorrhizal model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. They were present in all habitats we studied on four continents. We even detected these fungi in herbarium specimens originating from pioneering field trips to North Africa in the 1830s/40s. No geographical or host patterns were detected. Our data suggest that the multitude of mycorrhizal interactions in Sebacinales may have arisen from an ancestral endophytic habit by specialization. Considering their proven beneficial influence on plant growth and their ubiquity, endophytic Sebacinales may be a previously unrecognized universal hidden force in plant ecosystems.

Policymakers and practitioners in electronic communication and education in the United States and Canada were interviewed to identify those policies, strategies, and models of good practice used to increase access to learning via electronic communications that are relevant to the United Kingdom and Europe. Information was gathered from 5 experts…

In July 1983, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) initiated the Electronic Manuscript Project, with the goal of an industry-wide standard and guidelines for electronic manuscript preparation. The project, viewed as a significant effort throughout the publishing and information communities, consists of six tasks designed to improve productivity and efficiency in publishing and to facilitate bibliographic processing.

Data collected throughout the course of a clinical research trial must be reviewed for accuracy and completeness continually. The Oracle Clinical (OC) data management application utilized to capture clinical data facilitates data integrity through pre-programmed validations, edit and range checks, and discrepancy management modules. These functions were not enough. Coupled with the use of specially created reports in Oracle Discoverer and Integrated Review, both ad-hoc query and reporting tools, research staff have enhanced their ability to clean, analyze and report more accurate data captured within and among Case Report Forms (eCRFs) by individual study or across multiple studies.

The pulse radiolysis technique is applied to the study of electron transfer processes in a variety of chemical systems. Reactive intermediates are produced in solution by electron pulse irradiation and the kinetics of their reactions are followed by time resolved absorption spectrophotometry. Complementary experiments are carried out with excimer laser flash photolysis. These studies are concerned with mechanisms, kinetics, and thermodynamics of reactions of organic and inorganic radicals and unstable oxidation states of metal ions. Reactions are studied in both aqueous and non-aqueous solutions. The studies focus on the unique ability of pulse radiolysis to provide absolute rate constants for reactions of many inorganic radicals and organic peroxyl radicals, species that are key intermediates in many chemical processes. A special concern of this work is the study of electron transfer reactions of metalloporphyrins, which permits evaluation of these molecules as intermediates in solar energy conversion. Metalloporphyrins react with free radicals via electron transfer, involving the ligand or the metal center, or via bonding to the metal, leading to a variety of chemical species whose behavior is also investigated. The highlights of the results during the past three years are summarized below under the following sections: (a) electron transfer reactions of peroxyl radicals, concentrating on the characterization of new peroxyl radicals derived from vinyl, phenyl, other aryl, and pyridyl; (b) solvent effects on electron transfer reactions of inorganic and organic peroxyl radicals, including reactions with porphyrins, and (c) electron transfer and alkylation reactions of metalloporphyrins and other complexes.

Uranium and Plutonium are highly reactive elements that undergo not only chemical reactions but also nuclear reactions. This can lead to possibly significant materials degradation, a matter of potentially great concern. Here, the issue of the electronic structure changes that occur with oxidation and radiological aging will be addressed, in a fairly empirical manner. In essence, the sensitivity of various electron spectroscopic techniques to oxidation and aging will be surveyed and discussed, including the apparent limitations. It will be found that 5d and 4d X-ray absorption and electron energy loss are essentially blind to the changes corresponding to oxidation and aging in U and Pu.

A 56-year-old patient with alleged allergy to local anesthetics required restorative dental treatment. Electronic dental anesthesia was used successfully, in lieu of injectable local anesthetics, to manage intraoperative pain associated with the restoration of vital mandibular teeth.

In this paper, we expand on previous validation work by Dixon and Hughes. That is, we present a more complete suite of validation results with respect to to the well-known Lockwood energy deposition experiment. Lockwood et al. measured energy deposition in materials including beryllium, carbon, aluminum, iron, copper, molybdenum, tantalum, and uranium, for both single- and multi-layer 1-D geometries. Source configurations included mono-energetic, mono-directional electron beams with energies of 0.05-MeV, 0.1-MeV, 0.3- MeV, 0.5-MeV, and 1-MeV, in both normal and off-normal angles of incidence. These experiments are particularly valuable for validating electron transport codes, because they are closely represented by simulating pencil beams incident on 1-D semi-infinite slabs with and without material interfaces. Herein, we include total energy deposition and energy deposition profiles for the single-layer experiments reported by Lockwood et al. (a more complete multi-layer validation will follow in another report).

Our research on the motion of electrons in insulating liquids has had both a theoretical and an experimental facet. The former was necessary to guide the latter. The experimental aims of the program were to develop a new technique to measure the Hall mobility of injected electrons in an insulating liquid and to develop a measurement of the density of localized states within a few kT from the conduction band edge. On the basis of our theoretical work, we concluded that these states are essential for the understanding of phenomena involved in large part of the observations carried out in studying the motion of electrons in liquids. The measurement of the hall mobility of electrons injected in liquids was very successful. Results from these experiments confirmed the expected importance of localized states in the liquid. We were however, unable to directly measure the density of localized states below the conduction band edge of rare gasses. Our theoretical work was able to explain the apparent saturation of the time of flight (TOF) velocity in rare gasses, the increase of the saturation TOF velocity by the addition of impurities to rare gasses as well as the electric field induced variation of the probability of capture of an electron by an impurity. An estimate of the average energy of localized states below the conduction band edge was calculated. A novel method for the measurement of the effective mass of electrons injected in an insulating liquid was proposed. Finally an adaptation of the theory of the mobility of electrons scattered by phonons that has been used for solids was adapted to liquids.

This project, now known by the name ''Chaos in Electronic Circuits,'' was originally tasked as a two-year project to examine various ''fault'' or ''non-normal'' operational states of common electronic circuits with some focus on determining the feasibility of exploiting these states. Efforts over the two-year duration of this project have been dominated by the study of the chaotic behavior of electronic circuits. These efforts have included setting up laboratory space and hardware for conducting laboratory tests and experiments, acquiring and developing computer simulation and analysis capabilities, conducting literature surveys, developing test circuitry and computer models to exercise and test our capabilities, and experimenting with and studying the use of RF injection as a means of inducing chaotic behavior in electronics. An extensive array of nonlinear time series analysis tools have been developed and integrated into a package named ''After Acquisition'' (AA), including capabilities such as Delayed Coordinate Embedding Mapping (DCEM), Time Resolved (3-D) Fourier Transform, and several other phase space re-creation methods. Many computer models have been developed for Spice and for the ATP (Alternative Transients Program), modeling the several working circuits that have been developed for use in the laboratory. And finally, methods of induction of chaos in electronic circuits have been explored.

The research being carried out at Penn State by Winter and Alston addresses the fundamental processes of electron transfer, ionization, and excitation in ion-atom (and ion-ion) collisions. The focus is on intermediate- and higher-energy collisions, corresponding to proton energies of about 25 kilo-electron-volts (keV) or larger. At intermediate energies, where the transition probabilities are not small, many states must be coupled in a large calculation, while at higher energies, perturbative approaches may be used. Several studies have been carried out in the current three-year period; most of these treat systems with only one or two electrons, so that fewer approximations need be made and the basic collisional mechanisms can be more clearly described.

To present population-based estimates of herpes zoster (HZ) recurrence rates among adults. To identify recurrent cases of HZ, we reviewed the medical records (through December 31, 2007) of all Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents aged 22 years or older who had an incident case of HZ between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2001. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models were used to describe recurrences by age, immune status, and presence of prolonged pain at the time of the incident HZ episode. Of the 1669 persons with a medically documented episode of HZ, 95 had 105 recurrences (8 persons with >1 recurrence) by December 31, 2007, an average follow-up of 7.3 years. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the recurrence rate at 8 years was 6.2%. With a maximum follow-up of 12 years, the time between HZ episodes in the same person varied from 96 days to 10 years. Recurrences were significantly more likely in persons with zoster-associated pain of 30 days or longer at the initial episode (hazard ratio, 2.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.84-4.27; P

The experimental groups in the Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) program continue to perform front-line research with trapped and extracted highly charged ions (HCI) in the areas of ion/surface interactions, atomic spectroscopy, electron-ion interaction and structure measurements, highly charged ion confinement, and EBIT development studies. The ion surface/interaction studies which were initiated five years ago have reached a stage where they an carry out routine investigations, as well as produce breakthrough results towards the development of novel nanotechnology. At EBIT and SuperEBIT studies of the x-ray emission from trapped ions continue to produce significant atomic structure data with high precision for few electron systems of high-Z ions. Furthermore, diagnostics development for magnetic and laser fusion, supporting research for the x-ray laser and weapons programs, and laboratory astrophysics experiments in support of NASA`s astrophysics program are a continuing effort. The two-electron contributions to the binding energy of helium like ions were measured for the first time. The results are significant because their precision is an order of magnitude better than those of competing measurements at accelerators, and the novel technique isolates the energy corrections that are the most interesting. The RETRAP project which was initiated three years ago has reached a stage where trapping, confining and electronic cooling of HCI ions up to Th{sup 80+} can be performed routinely. Measurements of the rates and cross sections for electron transfer from H{sub 2} performed to determine the lifetime of HCI up to Xe{sup q+} and Th{sup q+} (35 {le} q {le} 80) have been studied at mean energies estimated to be {approximately} 5 q eV. This combination of heavy ions with very high charges and very low energies is rare in nature, but may be encountered in planned fusion energy demonstration devices, in highly charged ion sources, or in certain astrophysical events.

The Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machines (APEEM) subprogram within the Vehicle Technologies Program provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on developing revolutionary new power electronics (PE) and electric motor technologies that will leapfrog current on-the-road technologies. The research and development (R&D) is also aimed at achieving a greater understanding of and improvements in the way the various new components of tomorrow’s automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency.

Objective was to find methods for rapid, controlled placement of light absorbers, relays, and multi-electron catalysts at defined sites with respect to a semiconductor or metal surface and thus to develop methods for preparing chemically modified photoactive surfaces as artificial photosynthetic units. Progress has been made in four areas: synthesis of new materials for directional electron transfer, preparation and characterization of anisotropic composites containing organic and inorganic components, elaboration of mechanisms of electrocatalysis, and development of new methods for surface modification of metals and semiconductors.

Scanning electron microscopy has been used to examine and compare one normal endolymphatic sac with one endolymphatic sac from a patient with Meniere's disease. The surgical procedure for obtaining these specimens and their preparation for scanning electron microscopy are described. The luminal surface of the rugose portion of both specimens was lined with two populations of epithelial cells: one with a dome-shaped apical surface, the other with a flattened polygonal surface. The surface of dome-shaped cells in both specimens was covered with microvilli. Neither specimen had observable loss of epithelial integrity or fibrosis.

The Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Motors (APEEM) program within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP) provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on developing revolutionary new power electronics (PE), electric motor (EM), thermal management, and traction drive system technologies that will leapfrog current on-the-road technologies. The research and development (R&D) is also aimed at achieving a greater understanding of and improvements in the way the various new components of tomorrow’s automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency.

Understand Electronics provides a readable introduction to the exciting world of electronics for the student or enthusiast with little previous knowledge. The subject is treated with the minimum of mathematics and the book is extensively illustrated.This is an essential guide for the newcomer to electronics, and replaces the author's best-selling Beginner's Guide to Electronics.The step-by-step approach makes this book ideal for introductory courses such as the Intermediate GNVQ.

Most information on the prevalence of drug use comes from self-report surveys. The sensitivity of such information is cause for concern about the accuracy of self-report measures. In this study, self-reported drug use in the last 48 hr is compared to results from biological assays of saliva samples from 371 young adults entering clubs. The…

Postpartum cerebral angiopathy (PCA) is a cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome developing shortly after delivery, without signs of preceding eclampsia. The risk for recurrence of PCA is unknown. Here, we report on a closely monitored, uneventful pregnancy of a woman with a previous severe episode of PCA. In summary, this case report demonstrates that PCA does not necessarily recur in following pregnancies, even after previous severe episodes.

Full Text Available Postpartum cerebral angiopathy (PCA is a cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome developing shortly after delivery, without signs of preceding eclampsia. The risk for recurrence of PCA is unknown. Here, we report on a closely monitored, uneventful pregnancy of a woman with a previous severe episode of PCA. In summary, this case report demonstrates that PCA does not necessarily recur in following pregnancies, even after previous severe episodes.

Medical practice is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity in collaborative and cooperative patient care. Fast and effective communication between medical practitioners can improve patient care. In medical imaging, the fast delivery of medical reports to referring medical practitioners is a major component of cooperative patient care. Recently, mobile phones have been actively deployed in telemedicine applications. The mobile phone is an ideal medium to achieve faster delivery of reports to the referring medical practitioners. In this study, we developed an electronic medical report delivery system from a medical imaging department to the mobile phones of the referring doctors. The system extracts a text summary of medical report and a screen capture of diagnostic medical image in JPEG format, which are transmitted to 3G GSM mobile phones.

The Principal Investigator has continued to work on problems associated both with the deposition and with the emission of electron cyclotron power in toroidal plasmas. We have investigated the use of electron cyclotron resonance heating for bringing compact tokamaks (BPX) to ignition-like parameters. This requires that we continue to refine the modeling capability of the TORCH code linked with the BALDUR 1 {1/2} D transport code. Using this computational tool, we have examined the dependence of ignition on heating and transport employing both theoretical (multi-mode) and empirically based transport models. The work on current drive focused on the suppression of tearing modes near the q = 2 surface and sawteeth near the q = 1 surface. Electron cyclotron current drive in CIT near the q =2 surface was evaluated for a launch scenario where electron cyclotron power was launched near the equatorial plane. The work on suppression of sawteeth has been oriented toward understanding the suppression that has been observed in a number of tokamaks, in particular, in the WT-3 tokamak in Kyoto. To evaluate the changes in current profile (shear) near the q =1 surface, simulations have been carried out using the linked BALDUR-TORCH code. We consider effects on shear resulting both from wave-induced current as well as from changes in conductivity associated with changes in local temperature. Abstracts and a paper relating to this work is included in Appendix A.

Graphene, a one-atom thick sheet of carbon, exhibits incredible structural flexibility, electrical transport, and optical responses. And remarkably, the graphene electronic structure can be varied through interlayer coupling, nanoscale patterning, and electrical gating. In this project we made significant contribution to better understand and control physical properties of graphene and other novel two-dimensional layered materials.

The use of conventional tin-lead (SnPb) in circuit board manufacturing is under ever-increasing political scrutiny due to increasing regulations concerning lead. The "Restriction of Hazardous Substances" (RoHS) directive enacted by the European Union (EU) and a pact between the United States National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI), Europe's Soldertec at Tin Technology Ltd. and the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) are just two examples where worldwide legislative actions and partnerships/agreements are affecting the electronics industry. As a result, many global commercial-grade electronic component suppliers are initiating efforts to transition to lead-free (Pb-free) in order to retain their worldwide market. Pb-free components are likely to find their way into the inventory of aerospace or military assembly processes under current government acquisition reform initiatives. Inventories "contaminated" by Pb-free will result in increased risks associated with the manufacturing, product reliability, and subsequent repair of aerospace and military electronic systems. Although electronics for military and aerospace applications are not included in the RoHS legislation, engineers are beginning to find that the commercial industry's move towards RoHS compliance has affected their supply chain and changed their parts. Most parts suppliers plan to phase out their non-compliant, leaded production and many have already done so. As a result, the ability to find leaded components is getting harder and harder. Some buyers are now attempting to acquire the remaining SnPb inventory, if it's not already obsolete. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), depots, and support contractors have to be prepared to deal with an electronics supply chain that increasingly provides more and more parts with Pb-free finishes-some labeled no differently than their Pb counterparts-while at the same time providing the traditional Pb parts

ES11: the 23rd Annual Workshop on Electronic Structure Methods was held from June 6-9, 2011 at the University of Pennsylvania. The local organizing committee (see Section II) led by PI Andrew M. Rappe supervised the organization of the conference, before, during, and after the meeting itself. The national organizing committee set the technical program of talks, and provided support and advice in various ways. The conference was well-attended (see Section III). An important feature of this conference was a series of panel discussions (see Section IV) to discuss the field of electronic structure and to set new directions. The technical program was of extraordinarily high quality (see Section V). The host institution, the University of Pennsylvania, provided a supportive environment for this meeting (see Section VI).

Full Text Available Since the studies on consumption today occupy a position of importance in both the field of consumer research, as in the social sciences, linked to the perception that little has researched the symbolic universe of low-income individuals, we sought through this research to investigate the following question: how the experiences of consumer electronics for low-income consumers interact with the cultural and symbolic system involved in the flow of everyday social life. For this, we conducted an ethnographic study of inspiration in order to experience the daily life of consumers in their natural environment through in-depth interviews, observations and field notes. The empirical research data were examined based on content analysis. As a result, it can be noted that the experiences of consumer electronics to poor consumers can realize an intense relationship with the cultural and symbolic system built between individuals.

Classified removable electronic media (CREM) are tracked in several different ways at the Laboratory. To ensure greater security for CREM, we are creating a single, Laboratory-wide system to track CREM. We are researching technology that can be used to electronically tag and detect CREM, designing a database to track the movement of CREM, and planning to test the system at several locations around the Laboratory. We focus on affixing ''smart tags'' to items we want to track and installing gates at pedestrian portals to detect the entry or exit of tagged items. By means of an enterprise database, the system will track the entry and exit of tagged items into and from CREM storage vaults, vault-type rooms, access corridors, or boundaries of secure areas, as well as the identity of the person carrying an item. We are considering several options for tracking items that can give greater security, but at greater expense.

The Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Motors (APEEM) technology area within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on developing revolutionary new power electronics (PE), electric motor, and traction drive system (TDS) technologies that will leapfrog current on-the-road technologies, leading to lower cost and better efficiency in transforming battery energy to useful work. The research and development (R&D) is also aimed at achieving a greater understanding of and improvements in the way the various new components of tomorrow’s automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency through research in more efficient TDSs.

Clinical research management systems (CRMSs) can facilitate research billing compliance and clinician awareness of study activities when integrated with practice management and electronic health record systems. However, adoption of CRMSs remains low, and optimal approaches to implementation are unknown. This case report describes one institution's successful approach to organization, technology, and workflow for CRMS implementation following previous failures. Critical factors for CRMS success included organizational commitment to clinical research, a dedicated research information technology unit, integration of research data across disparate systems, and centralized system usage workflows. In contrast, previous failed approaches at the institution lacked a mandate and mechanism for change, received support as a business rather than research activity, maintained data in separate systems, and relied on inconsistent distributed system usage workflows. To our knowledge, this case report is the first to describe CRMS implementation success and failures, which can assist practitioners and academic evaluators.

With DOE support from August 1994 to August 1997, this project sought to identify methods for controlled placement of light absorbers, relays, and multielectron catalysts at defined sites from a fixed semiconductor or metal surface and, thus, to develop methods for preparing chemically modified photoactive surfaces as artificial photosynthetic units. These designed materials have been evaluated as efficient light collection devices and as substrates for defining the key features that govern the efficiency of long distance electron transfer and energy migration. The authors have synthesized several different families of integrated chemical systems as soluble arrays, as solid thin films, and as adsorbates on solid electrodes, seeking to establish how spatial definition deriving from covalent attachment to a helical polymer backbone, from self assembly of functionalized tethers on gold or metal oxide surfaces, and from rigid or layered block polymers can lead to controlled electron and energy transfer. The authors have also conducted physical characterization of semiconductor-containing composites active in controlled interfacial electron transfer, with charge transport in these materials having been evaluated by photophysical and electrochemical methods.

Electron beam welding procedures were developed and used to make sound welds in 8-inch thick 2-1/4 Cr-1 Mo in the horizontal position. A two-pass technique, one pass from each side, was developed for welding the 8-inch thickness. Techniques for eliminating various weld defects were developed. It was learned that the beam oscillation conditions strongly influenced welding performance. Procedures were developed for hard and soft vacuum operation, but hard vacuum was preferred. Procedures for starting and stopping the welding sequence were developed, along with a repair technique involving re-welding over a plug filled hole. The joint fit-up requirements were determined: a joint mismatch of 3/4 in. was welded, and a joint gap opening of 0.100 in. was welded without alteration of the welding procedure. It was shown that it is not necessary to demagnetize the material for successful welding, but that a special magnetic shield may be needed to protect the electron beam from stray magnetic fields. A demonstration weld failed to meet the NDE requirements of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code due to poor base metal quality which adversely affected weld performance. The mechanical properties (hardness, strength, ductility, and impact), and the microstructure of electron beam welded 8-inch thick SA387 Grade 22 Class 2 were determined and appeared to be adequate.

NASA Spacelink is a comprehensive electronic data base of NASA and other source educational and informational materials. This service originates at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama. This is an education service of NASA Headquarters, through the MSFC Education Office, that first began in February of 1988. The new NASA Spacelink Public Electronic Library was the result of a study conducted to investigate an upgrade or redesign of the original NASA Spacelink. The UNIX Operating System was chosen to be the host operating system for the new NASA Spacelink Public Electronic Library. The UNIX system was selected for this project because of the strengths built into the embedded communication system and for its simple and direct file handling capabilities. The host hardware of the new system is a Sun Microsystems SPARCserver 1000 computer system. The configuration has four 50-MHz SuperSPARC processors with 128 megabytes of shared memory; three SB800 serial ports allowing 24 cable links for phone communications; 4.1 gigabytes of on-line disk storage; and ten (10) CD-ROM drives. Communications devices on the system are sufficient to support the expected number of users through the Internet, the local dial services, long distance dial services; the MSFC PABX, and the NPSS (NASA Packet Switching System) and 1-800 access service for the registered teachers.

The 2010 Gordon Conference on Correlated Electron Systems will present cutting-edge research on emergent properties arising from strong electronic correlations. The Conference will feature a wide range of topics, such as the role of topology in condensed matter systems, quantum Hall interferometry and non-Abelian statistics, quantum criticality, metal-insulator transition, quantum effects in conductivity, Dirac quasiparticles, and superconductivity in cuprates and pnictides. In addition, we are reserving two sessions for new developments in this field that may arise in the coming year. The Conference will bring together a collection of investigators who are at the forefront of their field, and will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. We intend to have talks by established leaders in the field and also by young researchers who have made seminal contributions to various aspects of correlated electron physics, The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, provides an avenue for scientists from different disciplines to brainstorm and promotes cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas represented.

This is the fifth in a series of contracts and grants exploring the advanced particulate pollution control technology of electron beam precipitation. The project currently under contract with the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center, US DOE, addresses the pressing problem of more efficiently controlling the emission of fine, high resistivity fly ash from low sulfur coal-burning power plants. As such, the project is an integral part of the DOE mission to advance technologies which provide for the safe and economically viable utilization of the nation`s large but potentially polluting coal resources. Within the University Coal Research Program of the DOE, the objective of the project is also consistent with the goal of improving the performance of electrostatic precipitators and possibly fabric filters through the use of a first-stage electron beam particle precharger. Reducing the emission of particulate matter from coal fired boilers is in the national interest from a respiratory health standpoint, while improved power efficiency of the removal process serves the goals of lowered energy consumption. In addition, an earlier spinoff of the ongoing program at FSU was the invention of a new technology using pulsed streamer corona for SO{sub 2} and NO{sub x} removal, the pulse energized electron reactor (PEER) process.

Ling, Hao [The University of Texas at Austin; Hamilton, Mark F. [The University of Texas at Austin Applied Research Laboratories; Bhalla, Rajan [Science Applications International Corporation; Brown, Walter E. [The University of Texas at Austin Applied Research Laboratories; Hay, Todd A. [The University of Texas at Austin Applied Research Laboratories; Whitelonis, Nicholas J. [The University of Texas at Austin; Yang, Shang-Te [The University of Texas at Austin; Naqvi, Aale R. [The University of Texas at Austin

2013-09-30

Offshore wind energy is a valuable resource that can provide a significant boost to the US renewable energy portfolio. A current constraint to the development of offshore wind farms is the potential for interference to be caused by large wind farms on existing electronic and acoustical equipment such as radar and sonar systems for surveillance, navigation and communications. The US Department of Energy funded this study as an objective assessment of possible interference to various types of equipment operating in the marine environment where offshore wind farms could be installed. The objective of this project was to conduct a baseline evaluation of electromagnetic and acoustical challenges to sea surface, subsurface and airborne electronic systems presented by offshore wind farms. To accomplish this goal, the following tasks were carried out: (1) survey electronic systems that can potentially be impacted by large offshore wind farms, and identify impact assessment studies and research and development activities both within and outside the US, (2) engage key stakeholders to identify their possible concerns and operating requirements, (3) conduct first-principle modeling on the interactions of electromagnetic signals with, and the radiation of underwater acoustic signals from, offshore wind farms to evaluate the effect of such interactions on electronic systems, and (4) provide impact assessments, recommend mitigation methods, prioritize future research directions, and disseminate project findings. This report provides a detailed description of the methodologies used to carry out the study, key findings of the study, and a list of recommendations derived based the findings.

Telepathology is a field of telemedicine that enables the exchange of histologic and cytologic images for consultations among pathologists of two or more remote institutions, through a suitable communication channel. The Internet can connect several scientific and medical institutions because of the existence of a set of standard protocols that allow different computers to communicate; multimedia electronic mail is one such protocol, which allows asynchronous transmission of multimedia documents, i.e., including text, images, movies, and sounds. The aim of the present article is to test a novel approach in which Internet multimedia electronic mail is used as a communication medium to obtain an asynchronous telepathology tool for remote consultation. To assess the diagnostic validity of the method, 48 cases of fine-needle aspiration cytology of breast lesions were sent from Udine to Trento, Italy. Comparisons between local and remote diagnoses, and cytologic diagnoses versus subsequent histologic reports demonstrated that Internet multimedia electronic mail is suitable for remote consultation. Internet multimedia electronic mail thus presents an additional diagnostic tool that is easy to use, available on a wide range of computers, and inexpensive, because its cost is independent of distance.

The phase I program investigated the construction of electronic interconnections through the thickness of a silicon wafer. The novel aspects of the technology are that the length-to-width ratio of the channels is as high as 100:1, so that the minimum amount of real estate is used for contact area. Constructing a large array of these through-wafer interconnections will enable two circuit die to be coupled on opposite sides of a silicon circuit board providing high speed connection between the two.

The integration of 2D materials such as molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) with diamond (3D) was achieved by forming an heterojunction between these two materials and its electrical performance was studied experimentally. The device charactertics did show good rectifying nature when p-type single crystal diamond was integrated with n-type MoS2. These results are very encouraging indicating possible applications in semiconductor electronics, however further studies are required for a detailed understanding of the transport phenomena at the MoS2/diamond interface.

Shredder residues produced in plants processing waste electric and electronic equipment are excluded from material recycling due to a variety of polymeric materials and the presence of brominated flame retardants (BFR), which might contain banned polybrominated diphenyl ethers or toxic polybrominated dioxins and furans (PBDD/F). Herein we present a technological approach to transfer a significant portion of the shredder residue into recycled polymers. The technological approach consists of a density-based enrichment of styrenics, which are subjected to a solvolysis process (CreaSolv process) in a second stage. This stage allows the elimination of non-target polymers and extraction of BFR and PBDD/F. Pilot processing of 11.5 and 50 kg shredder residues indicated a material yield of about 50% in the density stage and 70-80% in the CreaSolv process, and an effective removal of BFR additives. The recycled products were proved to comply with threshold values defined by the European directive on the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) and the German Chemikalienverbotsverordnung. Mechanical material properties exhibited high tensile and flexural modules as well as slight impact strength, which qualify the products for applications in new electronic equipment.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (composed of automakers Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) announced in January 2002 a new cooperative research effort. Known as FreedomCAR (derived from 'Freedom' and 'Cooperative Automotive Research'), it represents DOE's commitment to developing public/private partnerships to fund high-risk, high-payoff research into advanced automotive technologies. Efficient fuel cell technology, which uses hydrogen to power automobiles without air pollution, is a very promising pathway to achieve the ultimate vision. The new partnership replaces and builds upon the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles initiative that ran from 1993 through 2001. The Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machines (APEEM) subprogram within the Vehicle Technologies Program provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on understanding and improving the way the various new components of tomorrow's automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency. In supporting the development of hybrid propulsion systems, the APEEM effort has enabled the development of technologies that will significantly improve advanced vehicle efficiency, costs, and fuel economy. The APEEM subprogram supports the efforts of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership through a three-phase approach intended to: (1) identify overall propulsion and vehicle-related needs by analyzing programmatic goals and reviewing industry's recommendations and requirements and then develop the appropriate technical targets for systems, subsystems, and component research and development activities; (2) develop and validate individual subsystems and components, including electric motors, and power electronics; and (3) determine how well the components and subsystems work together in a vehicle environment or as a complete propulsion

technical targets for systems, subsystems, and component research and development activities; (2) Develop and validate individual subsystems and components, including electric motors, emission control devices, battery systems, power electronics, accessories, and devices to reduce parasitic losses; and (3) Determine how well the components and subsystems work together in a vehicle environment or as a complete propulsion system and whether the efficiency and performance targets at the vehicle level have been achieved. The research performed under the Vehicle Systems subprogram will help remove technical and cost barriers to enable the development of technology for use in such advanced vehicles as hybrid and fuel-cell-powered automobiles that meet the goals of the FreedomCAR Program. A key element in making hybrid electric vehicles practical is providing an affordable electric traction drive system. This will require attaining weight, volume, and cost targets for the power electronics and electrical machines subsystems of the traction drive system. Areas of development include these: (1) Novel traction motor designs that result in increased power density and lower cost; (2) Inverter technologies involving new topologies to achieve higher efficiency and the ability to accommodate higher-temperature environments; (3) Converter concepts that employ means of reducing the component count and integrating functionality to decrease size, weight, and cost; (4) More effective thermal control and packaging technologies; and (5) Integrated motor/inverter concepts. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center conducts fundamental research, evaluates hardware, and assists in the technical direction of the DOE Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program, Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Program. In this role, ORNL serves on the FreedomCAR Electrical and Electronics Technical Team, evaluates proposals for DOE

This project implemented an integrated patient self-reported screening tool in a patient portal and assessed clinical workflow and user experience in primary care practices. An electronic health risk assessment based on the CMS Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) was developed to integrate self-reported health information into the patient's electronic health record (EHR). Patients enrolled in care coordination tested the implementation. The evaluation plan included quantitative and qualitative measures of patient adoption, provider adoption, workflow impact, financial impact, and technology impact. Seventy-two patients completed the sample AWV, and 80% of the questionnaires had clinical findings that required provider follow-up. Patients expressed satisfaction with the portal, as it enabled them to view their health record and enter information. Implementation did not reduce office staff time. Providers and office staff agreed that an electronic system for adding information to their record would increase patient satisfaction, but they expressed concern with the need to promptly review the information and the time involved to accomplish this prior to an office visit. Despite satisfaction among patients, portal adoption is still low, due to technological limitations and to the lack of adaptability to primary care practice workflow. Notwithstanding those barriers, the use of the portal for completion of repetitive tasks, such as screening tools, should be encouraged. Patients can effectively use portals to complete the patient reported section of the CMS AWV. However, if the information is not completed during the same day of the office visit, the time required to address health findings outside of a regular office visit is uncompensated, and diminished the enthusiasm for this process among primary care practice staff.

sustained vertical bounce which could be due tc the location of the rate vortex sensor being in the cockpit rather than under the transmission. 3...29,000 lbs vs U7,000 lbs). A very minor reduction in dampening was incorporater"—but the response of the SAS to vertical bounce was critical in a...Sensitivity to vertical bounce in hover flight was increased with SAS on or off over that experience on the previous flight. Aircraft buzz and

A natural language challenge devised by Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) was to analyze free-text health data to construct a multi-class, multi-label classification system focused on obesity and its co-morbidities. This report presents a case study in which a natural language processing (NLP) toolkit, called NLTK, was used in the challenge. This report provides a brief review of NLP in the context of EHR applications, briefly surveys and contrasts some existing NLP toolkits, and reports on our experiences with the i2b2 case study. Our efforts uncovered issues including the lack of human annotated physician notes for use as NLP training data, differences between conventional free-text and medical notes, and potential hardware and software limitations affecting future projects.

The report details the design of a floating-point coprocessor intended for real-time fault detection in electronically controlled internal combustion engines. The fault detection strategies are based on dynamic models of various engine subsystems and require the use of state estimators. The coprocessor can be operated at a clock rate of 24 MHz, and is capable of operating up to sixteen state estimators in real time. The design is suitable for application to internal combustion engines used for vehicle propulsion or power generation, whether diesel or spark ignited.

LSI’s fuel cell uses efficient Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (“SOFC”) technology, is manufactured using Micro Electrical Mechanical System (“MEMS”) fabrication methods, and runs on high energy fuels, such as butane and ethanol. The company’s Fuel Cell on a Chip™ technology enables a form-factor battery replacement for portable electronic devices that has the potential to provide an order-of-magnitude run-time improvement over current batteries. Further, the technology is clean and environmentally-friendly. This Department of Energy funded project focused on accelerating the commercialization and market introduction of this technology through improvements in fuel cell chip power output, lifetime, and manufacturability.

The Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) is a federally funded research and development center at Newport News, Virginia, At the time of our review, Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA) was operating CEBAF for the Department of Energy (DOE) under a management and operating (M&O) contract administered by DOE`s Oak Ridge Operations Office. SURA is currently operating CEBAF under a performance based management contract, The purpose of our inspection was to evaluate selected management issues regarding property accountability at CEBAF that we identified as a result of a complaint received by the Office of Inspector General. The complainant alleged a lack of accountability for Government equipment at CEBAF and the lack of an equipment inventory. Specifically, the complainant alleged, among other things, that after a named supervisor departed, CEBAF personnel had no idea what equipment had been assigned to the supervisor and could not account for any missing materials.

The objective was to analyze the electronic properties of different semiconductor interfaces. The Wannier function formalism has been applied to the GaAs-AlAs (111) and (100) heterojunctions and superlattices. Ionic relaxations, band discontinuities and interface states have been obtained. Abrupt Si-metal interfaces and Si-interlayer-metal junctions have been analyzed by means of a self-consistent tight-binding approach. The barrier height has been obtained by calculating the interface density of states and the neutral level of the junction. Our results show that the barrier height is mainly determined by the coupling between the semiconductor and the last layer just sitting on top of the same semiconductor.

High voltage electron microscopy (HVEM) is being used to study the effects of irradiation on a variety of materials. The vacancies and interstitials produced by displacement can aggregate to form dislocation loops and voids, annihilate at sinks, or enhance various diffusion processes such as precipitation and recrystallization. Threshold displacement energies, E/sub d/, have been determined for a number of fcc, bcc and hcp metals and for various oxides. In MgO, E/sub d/ is less along (100) than (110); also, E/sub d/ decreases with increasing temperature, possibly due to thermally activated escape of interstitials from recombination volumes or softening of saddle points. The effects of electron irradiation on precipitation in Al--Cu, Al--Si and Ni--Al alloys have been investigated. Precipitation respectively of theta', Si and ..gamma..' is enhanced and growth rates are explicable in terms of theories of radiation-enhanced diffusion, with D/sub rad/ approx. 10/sup -15/ cm/sup 2/ sec/sup -1/. In oxides, damage gives rise to interstitial dislocation loop nucleation and growth in all cases, perfect (110) loops in MgO faulted basal and prismatic loops in Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/. Quantitative analysis of loop growth rates in MgO gives a migration energy of 3.3 eV for anion vacancies. Other radiation effects include sublimation of MgO and decomposition of MgAl/sub 2/O/sub 4/ and Mg/sub 2/SiO/sub 4/ into MgO plus other phases.

.... Response: The Agency recognizes that there may be interruptions in electrical power or internet service... explained in the response to Comment 10, the Agency recognizes that there may be interruptions in electrical... experience any type of interruption for an extended period of time, and expects dealers to resume reporting...

This study examined the effects of e-mailed daily behavior report cards (DBRC) on students' disruptive classroom behaviors. Additionally, teacher acceptability of e-mailed DBRC as an intervention was assessed. Participants included 46 elementary students (37 males and 9 females), that were assigned to one of three conditions; delayed treatment…

textabstractBackground and Objective: Spontaneous reporting systems (SRSs) remain the cornerstone of post-marketing drug safety surveillance despite their well-known limitations. Judicious use of other available data sources is essential to enable better detection, strengthening and validation of si

... Fisheries Service (NMFS) Alaska Regional Office, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), and the.... Once data are entered and submitted, the User daily must print onsite through eLandings each landing... acknowledge the accuracy of the printed reports by signing them and entering date signed. In addition, the...

The overall goal of the Phase I research was to demonstrate that the digital readout electronics and filter algorithms developed by XIA for use with HPGe detectors can be adapted to high precision, cryogenic gamma detectors (microcalorimeters) and not only match the current state of the art in terms of energy resolution, but do so at a significantly reduced cost. This would make it economically feasible to instrument large arrays of microcalorimeters and would also allow automation of the setup, calibration and operation of large numbers of channels through software. We expected, and have demonstrated, that this approach would further allow much higher count rates than the optimum filter algorithms currently used. In particular, in measurements with a microcalorimeter at LLNL, the adapted Pixie-16 spectrometer achieved an energy resolution of 0.062%, significantly better than the targeted resolution of 0.1% in the Phase I proposal and easily matching resolutions obtained with LLNL readout electronics and optimum filtering (0.066%). The theoretical maximum output count rate for the filter settings used to achieve this resolution is about 120cps. If the filter is adjusted for maximum throughput with an energy resolution of 0.1% or better, rates of 260cps are possible. This is 20-50 times higher than the maximum count rates of about 5cps with optimum filters for this detector. While microcalorimeter measurements were limited to count rates of ~1.3cps due to the strength of available sources, pulser measurements demonstrated that measured energy resolutions were independent of counting rate to output counting rates well in excess of 200cps or more.. We also developed a preliminary hardware design of a spectrometer module, consisting of a digital processing core and several input options that can be implemented on daughter boards. Depending upon the daughter board, the total parts cost per channel ranged between $12 and $27, resulting in projected product prices of $80

This research consisted of testing surface treatment processes for stainless steel and aluminum for the purpose of suppressing electron emission over large surface areas to improve the pulsed high voltage hold-off capabilities of these metals. Improvements to hold-off would be beneficial to the operation of the vacuum-insulator grading rings and final self-magnetically insulated transmission line on the ZR-upgrade machine and other pulsed power applications such as flash radiograph and pulsed-microwave machines. The treatments tested for stainless steel include the Z-protocol (chemical polish, HVFF, and gold coating), pulsed E-beam surface treatments by IHCE, Russia, and chromium oxide coatings. Treatments for aluminum were anodized and polymer coatings. Breakdown thresholds also were measured for a range of surface finishes and gap distances. The study found that: (1.) Electrical conditioning and solvent cleaning in a filtered air environment each improve HV hold-off 30%. (2.) Anodized coatings on aluminum give a factor of two improvement in high voltage hold-off. However, anodized aluminum loses this improvement when the damage is severe. Chromium oxide coatings on stainless steel give a 40% and 20% improvement in hold-off before and after damage from many arcs. (3.) Bare aluminum gives similar hold-off for surface roughness, R{sub a}, ranging from 0.08 to 3.2 {micro}m. (4.) The various EBEST surfaces tested give high voltage hold-off a factor of two better than typical machined and similar to R{sub a} = 0.05 {micro}m polished stainless steel surfaces. (5.) For gaps > 2 mm the hold-off voltage increases as the square root of the gap for bare metal surfaces. This is inconsistent with the accepted model for metals that involves E-field induced electron emission from dielectric inclusions. Micro-particles accelerated across the gap during the voltage pulse give the observed voltage dependence. However the similarity in observed breakdown times for large and small

Electronic laboratory interfaces can significantly increase the value of ambulatory electronic health record (EHR) systems by providing laboratory result data automatically and in a computable form. However, many ambulatory EHRs cannot implement electronic laboratory interfaces despite the existence of messaging standards, such as Health Level 7, version 2 (HL7). Among several barriers to implementing laboratory interfaces is the extensive optionality within the HL7 message standard. This pap...

Objective: A history of foetal death is a risk factor for complications and foetal death in subsequent pregnancies as most previous risk factors remain present and an underlying cause of death may recur. The purpose of this study was to evaluate subsequent pregnancy outcome after foetal death and to

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cancer survivors can face significant physical and psychosocial challenges; there is a need to identify and predict which survivors experience what sorts of difficulties. As highlighted in the UK National Cancer Survivorship Initiative, routine post-diagnostic collection of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs is required; to be most informative, PROMs must be linked and analysed with patients' diagnostic and treatment information. We have designed and built a potentially cost-efficient UK-scalable electronic system for collecting PROMs via the internet, at regular post-diagnostic time-points, for linking these data with patients' clinical data in cancer registries, and for electronically managing the associated patient monitoring and communications; the electronic Patient-reported Outcomes from Cancer Survivors (ePOCS system. This study aims to test the feasibility of the ePOCS system, by running it for 2 years in two Yorkshire NHS Trusts, and using the Northern and Yorkshire Cancer Registry and Information Service. Methods/Design Non-metastatic breast, colorectal and prostate cancer patients (largest survivor groups, within 6 months post-diagnosis, will be recruited from hospitals in the Yorkshire Cancer Network. Participants will be asked to complete PROMS, assessing a range of health-related quality-of-life outcomes, at three time-points up to 15 months post-diagnosis, and subsequently to provide opinion on the ePOCS system via a feedback questionnaire. Feasibility will be examined primarily in terms of patient recruitment and retention rates, the representativeness of participating patients, the quantity and quality of collected PROMs data, patients' feedback, the success and reliability of the underpinning informatics, and the system running costs. If sufficient data are generated during system testing, these will be analysed to assess the health-related quality-of-life outcomes reported by patients, and to explore

The Deep Impact spacecraft was launched on a Boeing Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) on January 12, 2005. Prior to the launch, the Director of the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OS&MA) requested the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) lead a team to render an independent opinion on the rationale for flight and the risk code assignments for the hazard of cracked Thick Film Assemblies (TFAs) in the E-packages of the Delta II launch vehicle for the Deep Impact Mission. The results of the evaluation are contained in this report.

Radiation effects in alloys and ceramics are reported. There is a variety of effects of irradiation on phase stability in alloys, including radiation-induced and enhanced phase instability, disordering and secondary defect formation in various alloys. In ceramics, the response to irradiation can be even more complex due to considerations of stoichiometry and imbalance in the spectrum of primary defects (anions and cations). These responses are categorized in three ways: (a) the formation of stoichiometric defects (loops and voids), (b) decomposition or precipitation of a second phase, and (c) transition from the crystalline to the amorphous state (amorphization or metamictization).

The research of the EBIT (Electron Beam Ion Trap) program in N Division of the Physics and Space Technology Directorate at LLNL continues to contribute significantly to the understanding of physical processes with low energy highly charged ions in atomic physics, plasma physics, and material science. Low-energy highly charged ions (up to U92+), provided by the EBIT facilities, provide a unique laboratory opportunity to study high field effects in atomic structures and dynamic interaction processes. The formation, existence, and structure of highly charged ions in astrophysical environments and laboratory plasmas make highly charged ions desirable for diagnosing various plasma conditions. The strong interaction of highly charged ions with matter and the response of solid surfaces make them a sensitive analysis tool and possibly a future capability for materials modifications at the atomic scale (nano technology). These physical applications require a good understanding and careful study of the dynamics of the interactions of the ions with complex systems. The EBIT group hosted an international conference and a workshop on trapped charged particles. The various talks and discussions showed that physics research with trapped charged particles is a very active and attractive area of innovative research, and provides a basis for research efforts in new areas. It also became obvious that the EBIT/RETRAP project has unique capabilities to perform important new experiments with trapped very highly charged ions at rest, which are complementary to and competitive with research at heavy ion storage rings and other trapping facilities planned or in operation in Europe, Japan, and the United States. Atomic structure research at EBIT provides ever better and more experimental complete benchmark data, supplying data needed to improve atomic theories. Research highlights through 1996 and 1997 include hyperfine structure measurements in H-like ions, QED studies, lifetime

This year our laboratory has continued to make progress in the design of electron-optical systems, in the study of structure-function relationships of large multi-subunit proteins, in the development of new image processing software and in achieving a workable sub-angstrom STEM. We present an algebraic approach to the symmetrical Einzel (unipotential) lens wherein we simplify the analysis by specifying a field shape that meets some preferred set of boundary or other conditions and then calculate the fields. In a second study we generalize this approach to study of three element electrostatic lenses of which the symmetrical Einzel lens is a particular form. The purpose is to develop a method for assisting in the design of a lens for a particular purpose. In our biological work we study a stable and functional dodecameric complex of globin chains from the hemoglobin of Lumbricus terrestris. This is a complex lacking the ``linker`` subunit first imaged in this lab and required for maintenance of the native structure. In addition, we do a complete work-up on the hemoglobin of the marine polychaete Eudistylia vancouverii demonstrating the presence of a hierarchy of globin complexes. We demonstrate stable field-emission in the sub-angstrom STEM and the preliminary alignment of the beam. We continue our exploration of a algorithms for alignment of sequences of protein and DNA. Our computer facilities now include four second generation RISC workstations and we continue to take increasing advantage of the floating-point and graphical performance of these devices.

Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc. (LMES) has established and maintains Document Management Centers (DMCs) to support Environmental Restoration Program (ER) activities undertaken at three Oak Ridge facilities: Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge K-25 Site, Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant; and two sister sites: Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Portsmouth, Ohio, and Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky. The role of the DMCs is to receive, store, retrieve, and properly dispose of records. In an effort to make the DMCs run more efficiently and to more proactively manage the records` life cycles from cradle to grave, ER has decided to investigate ways in which Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) technologies can be used to redefine the DMCs and their related processes. Specific goals of this study are tightening control over the ER documents, establishing and enforcing record creation and retention procedures, speeding up access to information, and increasing the accessibility of information. A working pilot of the solution is desired within the next six months. Based on a series of interviews conducted with personnel from each of the DMCs, key management, and individuals representing related projects, it is recommended that ER utilize document management, full-text retrieval, and workflow technologies to improve and automate records management for the ER program. A phased approach to solution implementation is suggested starting with the deployment of an automated storage and retrieval system at Portsmouth. This should be followed with a roll out of the system to the other DMCs, the deployment of a workflow-enabled authoring system at Portsmouth, and a subsequent roll out of this authoring system to the other sites.

The original thrust of this grant was to apply newly developed techniques in scanning tunneling and transmission electron microscopy to elucidate the mechanism of brittle fracture. This grant spun-off several new directions in that some of the findings on bulk structural materials could be utilized on thin films or intermetallic single crystals. Modeling and material evaluation efforts in this grant are represented in a figure. Out of this grant evolved the field the author has designated as Contact Fracture Mechanics. By appropriate modeling of stress and strain distribution fields around normal indentations or scratch tracks, various measures of thin film fracture or decohesion and brittle fracture of low ductility intermetallics is possible. These measures of fracture resistance in small volumes are still evolving and as such no standard technique or analysis has been uniformly accepted. For brittle ceramics and ceramic films, there are a number of acceptable analyses such as those published by Lawn, Evans and Hutchinson. For more dissipative systems involving metallic or polymeric films and/or substrates, there is still much to be accomplished as can be surmised from some of the findings in the present grant. In Section 2 the author reviews the funding history and accomplishments associated mostly with bulk brittle fracture. This is followed by Section 3 which covers more recent work on using novel techniques to evaluate fracture in low ductility single crystals or thin films using micromechanical probes. Basically Section 3 outlines how the recent work fits in with the goals of defining contact fracture mechanics and gives an overview of how the several examples in Section 4 (the Appendices) fit into this framework.

Interrogation of the electronic health record (EHR) using billing codes as a surrogate for diagnoses of interest has been widely used for clinical research. However, the accuracy of this methodology is variable, as it reflects billing codes rather than severity of disease, and depends on the disease and the accuracy of the coding practitioner. Systematic application of text mining to the EHR has had variable success for the detection of cardiovascular phenotypes. We hypothesize that the application of text mining algorithms to cardiovascular procedure reports may be a superior method to identify patients with cardiovascular conditions of interest. We adapted the Oracle product Endeca, which utilizes text mining to identify terms of interest from a NoSQL-like database, for purposes of searching cardiovascular procedure reports and termed the tool "PennSeek". We imported 282,569 echocardiography reports representing 81,164 individuals and 27,205 cardiac catheterization reports representing 14,567 individuals from non-searchable databases into PennSeek. We then applied clinical criteria to these reports in PennSeek to identify patients with trileaflet aortic stenosis (TAS) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Accuracy of patient identification by text mining through PennSeek was compared with ICD-9 billing codes. Text mining identified 7115 patients with TAS and 9247 patients with CAD. ICD-9 codes identified 8272 patients with TAS and 6913 patients with CAD. 4346 patients with AS and 6024 patients with CAD were identified by both approaches. A randomly selected sample of 200-250 patients uniquely identified by text mining was compared with 200-250 patients uniquely identified by billing codes for both diseases. We demonstrate that text mining was superior, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.95 compared to 0.53 by ICD-9 for TAS, and a PPV of 0.97 compared to 0.86 for CAD. These results highlight the superiority of text mining algorithms applied to electronic

Full Text Available Self-report is the most common and feasible method for assessing patient adherence to medication, but can be prone to recall bias and social desirability bias. Most studies assessing adherence to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs have relied on self-report. In this study, we use a novel customised electronic monitoring device--termed smart blister packs--to examine the validity of self-reported adherence to artemether-lumefantrine (AL in southern Tanzania.Smart blister packs were designed to look identical to locally available AL blister packs and to record the date and time each tablet was removed from packaging. Patients obtaining AL at randomly selected health facilities and drug stores were followed up at home three days later and interviewed about each dose of AL taken. Blister packs were requested for pill count and extraction of smart blister pack data.Data on adherence from both self-report verified by pill count and smart blister packs were available for 696 of 1,204 patients. There was no difference between methods in the proportion of patients assessed to have completed treatment (64% and 67%, respectively. However, the percentage taking the correct number of pills for each dose at the correct times (timely completion was higher by self-report than smart blister packs (37% vs. 24%; p<0.0001. By smart blister packs, 64% of patients completing treatment did not take the correct number of pills per dose or did not take each dose at the correct time interval.Smart blister packs resulted in lower estimates of timely completion of AL and may be less prone to recall and social desirability bias. They may be useful when data on patterns of adherence are desirable to evaluate treatment outcomes. Improved methods of collecting self-reported data are needed to minimise bias and maximise comparability between studies.

Aims: eHID (electronic Health Indicator Data) is an EC sponsored project concerned with best practice in recording diagnostic data in routine ( as opposed to research specific) general practice electronic patient records. Design and methods: The project included investigation on site of recording

Aims: The electronic Health Indicator Data (eHID) project aims to investigate how routinely collected clinical data from electronic records in primary care can be used to determine health indicators across the European Union (EU). This presentation will present the findings of site visits to the

Aims: eHID (electronic Health Indicator Data) is an EC sponsored project concerned with best practice in recording diagnostic data in routine ( as opposed to research specific) general practice electronic patient records. Design and methods: The project included investigation on site of recording r

Full Text Available A post-mortem examined case of herpetic brainstem encephalitis is presented. Clinically, the patient had cephalea followed by ataxia, drowsiness and multiple palsies of some cranial nerves, developing into death in eight days. The pathologic examination of the brain showed necrotizing encephalitis in multiple foci limited to the brainstem, more distinctly in the pons and medula oblongata. The technique of immunoperoxidase revealed rare glial cells with intranuclear immunoreactivity for herpes antigen. Rare viral particles with the morphological characteristics of the herpesvirus were identified in the nuclei of neurons in 10% formol fixed material. This is the second reported case of herpetic brainstem encephalitis confirmed by post-mortem examination. The pathway used by the virus to reach the central nervous system and its posterior dissemination to the oral cavity, the orbitofrontal region and the temporal lobes as well as to the brainstem, after a period of latency and reactivation, are discussed.

Introduction The rate of operative birth by Caesarean section is constantly rising. In Kazakhstan, it reaches 27 per cent. Research data confirm that the percentage of successful vaginal births after previous Caesarean section is 50–70 per cent. How safe the induction of vaginal birth after Caesarean (VBAC) remains unclear. Methodology The studied techniques of labour induction were amniotomy of the foetal bladder with the vulsellum ramus, intravaginal administra...

Full Text Available Intracranial bleeding in hemophilia patients is a rare but a mortal complication. Diagnosis of hemophilia in adulthood is an uncommon occurrence. In this case report an adult patient with intracranial hemorrhage is presented.

This report discusses battered women and the role of their previous victimization. After a literature review on family violence in general, these topics are discussed: (1) family violence and the patriarchy; (2) the historical background of family violence; (3) intergenerational cycle of violence; and (4) psychological literature's four ways…

Non-serotype b strains of Haemophilus influenzae are extremely rare causes of acute bacterial meningitis in immunocompetent individuals. We report a case of acute bacterial meningitis in a 14-year-old boy, who was previously healthy and had been immunised against H influenzae serotype b (Hib...

This report discusses battered women and the role of their previous victimization. After a literature review on family violence in general, these topics are discussed: (1) family violence and the patriarchy; (2) the historical background of family violence; (3) intergenerational cycle of violence; and (4) psychological literature's four ways…

The report describes a summary of achieved results from 21 lid welds and numerous test block welds, performed at SKB Canister Laboratory in Oskarshamn for the period 1999-02-12 to 2001-12-31. Good weld quality has been achieved and some welds fulfilled the preliminary interpretation criteria, but the weld process need to be further developed before process qualification. Many different parameter settings have been tested and the influence on the weld profile has been mapped and documented. Deformations of the canister after welding have been measured and found to be very small. The preliminary inspection methods of the weld quality works satisfactory for the need of the development of the weld process. The welding machine is a new design developed for welding of thick copper in reduced pressure and performs well, but suffers from teething problems, which has delayed the work with development of the weld process. The welding system needs to be further developed and improved to work more reliably in a production plant.

The report describes a summary of achieved results from 21 lid welds and numerous test block welds, performed at SKB Canister Laboratory in Oskarshamn for the period 1999-02-12 to 2001-12-31. Good weld quality has been achieved and some welds fulfilled the preliminary interpretation criteria, but the weld process need to be further developed before process qualification. Many different parameter settings have been tested and the influence on the weld profile has been mapped and documented. Deformations of the canister after welding have been measured and found to be very small. The preliminary inspection methods of the weld quality works satisfactory for the need of the development of the weld process. The welding machine is a new design developed for welding of thick copper in reduced pressure and performs well, but suffers from teething problems, which has delayed the work with development of the weld process. The welding system needs to be further developed and improved to work more reliably in a production plant.

We report on the status and plans of experiments now running or proposed for electron-positron colliders at energies between the {phi} and the Z. The e{sup +}e{sup -}B and charm factories we considered were PEP-II/BABAR, KEKB/Belle, superKEK, SuperBABAR, and CESR-c/CLEO-c. We reviewed the programs at the {phi} factory at Frascati and the proposed PEP-N facility at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. We studied the prospects for B physics with a dedicated linear collider Z factory, associated with the TESLA high energy linear collider. In all cases, we compared the physics reach of these facilities with that of alternative experiments at hadron colliders or fixed target facilities.

We report on the status and plans of experiments now running or proposed for electron-positron colliders at energies between the {phi} and the Z. The e{sup +}e{sup -}B and charm factories we considered were PEP-II/BABAR, KEKB/Belle, superKEK, SuperBABAR, and CESR-c/CLEO-c. We reviewed the programs at the {phi} factory at Frascati and the proposed PEP-N facility at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. We studied the prospects for B physics with a dedicated linear collider Z factory, associated with the TESLA high energy linear collider. In all cases, we compared the physics reach of these facilities with that of alternative experiments at hadron colliders or fixed target facilities.

To evaluate the results of extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and phacoemulsification (PHACO) performed in previously vitrectomized eyes. In this retrospective study, 56 vitrectomized eyes that had ECCE and 60 vitrectomized eyes that had PHACO were included in the study group while 65 eyes that had PHACO in the control group. The evaluated parameters were the incidence of intra-operative and postoperative complications (IPC) and visual outcomes. Chi-squared, independent samples and paired samples tests were used for comparing the results. Deep anterior chamber (AC) was significantly more common in the PHACO group of vitrectomized eyes (PGVE) and observed in eyes that had undergone extensive vitreous removal (p ECCE group and the PGVE (p > 0.05). Some of the intra-operative conditions such as posterior synechiae, primary posterior capsular opacification (PCO) and postoperative complications such as retinal detachment (RD), PCO were significantly more common in vitrectomized eyes than the controls (p ECCE group and the PGVE (p > 0.05). Deep AC is more common in eyes with extensive vitreous removal during PHACO than ECCE. Decreasing the bottle height is advised in this case. Except for this, the results of ECCE and PHACO are similar in previously vitrectomized eyes. Posterior synechiaes, primary and postoperative PCO and RD are more common in vitrectomized eyes than the controls.

Use of electronic clinical trial portals has increased in recent years to assist with sponsor-investigator communication, safety reporting, and clinical trial management. Electronic portals can help reduce time and costs associated with processing paperwork and add security measures; however, there is a lack of information on clinical trial investigative staff's perceived challenges and benefits of using portals. The Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative (CTTI) sought to (1) identify challenges to investigator receipt and management of investigational new drug (IND) safety reports at oncologic investigative sites and coordinating centers and (2) facilitate adoption of best practices for communicating and managing IND safety reports using electronic portals. CTTI, a public-private partnership to improve the conduct of clinical trials, distributed surveys and conducted interviews in an opinion-gathering effort to record investigator and research staff views on electronic portals in the context of the new safety reporting requirements described in the US Food and Drug Administration's final rule (Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 Section 312). The project focused on receipt, management, and review of safety reports as opposed to the reporting of adverse events. The top challenge investigators and staff identified in using individual sponsor portals was remembering several complex individual passwords to access each site. Also, certain tasks are time-consuming (eg, downloading reports) due to slow sites or difficulties associated with particular operating systems or software. To improve user experiences, respondents suggested that portals function independently of browsers and operating systems, have intuitive interfaces with easy navigation, and incorporate additional features that would allow users to filter, search, and batch safety reports. Results indicate that an ideal system for sharing expedited IND safety information is through a central portal used by

as a complete propulsion system and whether the efficiency and performance targets at the vehicle level have been achieved. The research performed under this subprogram will help remove technical and cost barriers to enable the development of technology for use in such advanced vehicles as hybrid and fuel-cell-powered automobiles that meet the goals of the FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program. A key element in making hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) practical is providing an affordable electric traction drive system. This will require attaining weight, volume, and cost targets for the power electronics and electrical machines subsystems of the traction drive system. Areas of development include these: (1) novel traction motor designs that result in increased power density and lower cost; (2) inverter technologies involving new topologies to achieve higher efficiency and the ability to accommodate higher-temperature environments; (3) converter concepts that employ means of reducing the component count and integrating functionality to decrease size, weight, and cost; (4) more effective thermal control and packaging technologies; and (5) integrated motor/inverter concepts. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center conducts fundamental research, evaluates hardware, and assists in the technical direction of the DOE Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program, APEEM subprogram. In this role, ORNL serves on the FreedomCAR Electrical and Electronics Technical Team, evaluates proposals for DOE, and lends its technological expertise to the direction of projects and evaluation of developing technologies. ORNL also executes specific projects for DOE. The following report discusses those projects carried out in FY 2007 and conveys highlights of their accomplishments. Numerous project reviews, technical reports, and papers have been published for these efforts, if the reader is interested in

Full Text Available For the 20(th century since the Depression, we find a strong correlation between a 'literary misery index' derived from English language books and a moving average of the previous decade of the annual U.S. economic misery index, which is the sum of inflation and unemployment rates. We find a peak in the goodness of fit at 11 years for the moving average. The fit between the two misery indices holds when using different techniques to measure the literary misery index, and this fit is significantly better than other possible correlations with different emotion indices. To check the robustness of the results, we also analysed books written in German language and obtained very similar correlations with the German economic misery index. The results suggest that millions of books published every year average the authors' shared economic experiences over the past decade.

Obinutuzumab was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in late 2013 for use in combination with chlorambucil for the treatment of patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The approval was based on results of an open-label phase 3 trial that showed improved progression-free survival (PFS) with the combination of obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil compared with chlorambucil alone. Obinutuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets CD20 antigen expressed on the surface of pre B- and mature B-lymphocytes. After binding to CD20, obinutuzumab mediates B-cell lysis by engaging immune effector cells, directly activating intracellular death signaling pathways, and activating the complement cascade. Immune effector cell activities include antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis.

The dynamic processes related to mnemonic plasticity have been extensively researched in the last decades. More recently, studies have attracted attention because they show an unusual plasticity mechanism that is independent of the receptor most usually related to first-time learning--that is, memory acquisition-the NMDA receptor. An interesting feature of this type of learning is that a previous experience may cause modifications in the plasticity mechanism of a subsequent learning, suggesting that prior experience in a very similar task triggers a memory acquisition process that does not depend on NMDARs. The intracellular molecular cascades necessary to assist the learning process seem to depend on the activation of hippocampal CP-AMPARs. Moreover, most of these studies were performed on hippocampus-dependent tasks, even though other brain areas, such as the basolateral amygdala, also display NMDAR-independent learning.

For the 20(th) century since the Depression, we find a strong correlation between a 'literary misery index' derived from English language books and a moving average of the previous decade of the annual U.S. economic misery index, which is the sum of inflation and unemployment rates. We find a peak in the goodness of fit at 11 years for the moving average. The fit between the two misery indices holds when using different techniques to measure the literary misery index, and this fit is significantly better than other possible correlations with different emotion indices. To check the robustness of the results, we also analysed books written in German language and obtained very similar correlations with the German economic misery index. The results suggest that millions of books published every year average the authors' shared economic experiences over the past decade.

Full Text Available Introduction The rate of operative birth by Caesarean section is constantly rising. In Kazakhstan, it reaches 27 per cent. Research data confirm that the percentage of successful vaginal births after previous Caesarean section is 50–70 per cent. How safe the induction of vaginal birth after Caesarean (VBAC remains unclear. Methodology The studied techniques of labour induction were amniotomy of the foetal bladder with the vulsellum ramus, intravaginal administration of E1 prostaglandin (Misoprostol, and intravenous infusion of Oxytocin-Richter. The assessment of rediness of parturient canals was conducted by Bishop’s score; the labour course was assessed by a partogram. The effectiveness of labour induction techniques was assessed by the number of administered doses, the time of onset of regular labour, the course of labour and the postpartum period and the presence of complications, and the course of the early neonatal period, which implied the assessment of the child’s condition, described in the newborn development record. The foetus was assessed by medical ultrasound and antenatal and intranatal cardiotocography (CTG. Obtained results were analysed with SAS statistical processing software. Results The overall percentage of successful births with intravaginal administration of Misoprostol was 93 per cent (83 of cases. This percentage was higher than in the amniotomy group (relative risk (RR 11.7 and was similar to the oxytocin group (RR 0.83. Amniotomy was effective in 54 per cent (39 of cases, when it induced regular labour. Intravenous oxytocin infusion was effective in 94 per cent (89 of cases. This percentage was higher than that with amniotomy (RR 12.5. Conclusions The success of vaginal delivery after previous Caesarean section can be achieved in almost 70 per cent of cases. At that, labour induction does not decrease this indicator and remains within population boundaries.

Full Text Available Background. The conduct of clinical trials is increasingly challenging due to greater complexity and governance requirements as well as difficulties with recruitment and retention. Electronic Health Records for Clinical Research (EHR4CR aims at improving the conduct of trials by using existing routinely collected data, but little is known about stakeholder views on data availability, information governance, and acceptable working practices. Methods. Senior figures in healthcare organisations across Europe were provided with a description of the project and structured interviews were subsequently conducted to elicit their views. Results. 37 structured interviewees in Germany, UK, Switzerland, and France indicated strong support for the proposed EHR4CR platform. All interviewees reported that using the platform for assessing feasibility would enhance the conduct of clinical trials and the majority also felt it would reduce workloads. Interviewees felt the platform could enhance trial recruitment and adverse event reporting but also felt it could raise either ethical or information governance concerns in their country. Conclusions. There was clear support for EHR4CR and a belief that it could reduce workloads and improve the conduct and quality of trials. However data security, privacy, and information governance issues would need to be carefully managed in the development of the platform.

The conduct of clinical trials is increasingly challenging due to greater complexity and governance requirements as well as difficulties with recruitment and retention. Electronic Health Records for Clinical Research (EHR4CR) aims at improving the conduct of trials by using existing routinely collected data, but little is known about stakeholder views on data availability, information governance, and acceptable working practices. Senior figures in healthcare organisations across Europe were provided with a description of the project and structured interviews were subsequently conducted to elicit their views. 37 structured interviewees in Germany, UK, Switzerland, and France indicated strong support for the proposed EHR4CR platform. All interviewees reported that using the platform for assessing feasibility would enhance the conduct of clinical trials and the majority also felt it would reduce workloads. Interviewees felt the platform could enhance trial recruitment and adverse event reporting but also felt it could raise either ethical or information governance concerns in their country. There was clear support for EHR4CR and a belief that it could reduce workloads and improve the conduct and quality of trials. However data security, privacy, and information governance issues would need to be carefully managed in the development of the platform.

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE: Use of electronic questionnaires to collect health-related quality-of-life data has evolved as an alternative to paper questionnaires. For the electronic questionnaire to be used interchangeably with the validated paper questionnaire, measurement properties similar...... to the original must be demonstrated. The aim of the present study was to assess the equivalence between the paper version and the electronic version of the thyroid-related quality-of-life questionnaire ThyPRO. METHODS: Patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism or autoimmune hypothyroidism in a clinically stable...... with data from a previous paper-paper test-retest study. RESULTS: 104 patients were included. ICCs were generally high for the 13 scales, ranging from 0.76 to 0.95. There was a small but significant difference in the scale score between paper and electronic administration for the Cosmetic complaints scale...

Six hundred forty-four undergraduates served as mock judges in sentencing male or female defendants convicted of homicide, child molestation, embezzlement, fraudulent issuance of checks, heroin possession, and consensual homosexuality. Defendants had a reported history of psychiatric hospitalization, imprisonment, or neither hospitalization nor incarceration. Results indicated: (1) those defendants with a mental health history were more likely to be accorded a disposition that involved mandatory health treatment; (2) dispositions of persons with a mental health history tended to be more restrictive than those of defendants with neither a mental health nor criminal history; and (3) sex of defendant of mock judge influenced sentencing disposition only in child molestation cases.

Hypocalcemia is a well-known complication of total thyroidectomy. Patients who have previously undergone gastric bypass surgery may be at increased risk of hypocalcemia due to gastrointestinal malabsorption, secondary hyperparathyroidism, and an underlying vitamin D deficiency. We present the case of a 58-year-old woman who underwent a total thyroidectomy for the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Her history included Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Following the thyroid surgery, she developed postoperative hypocalcemia that required large doses of oral calcium carbonate (7.5 g/day), oral calcitriol (up to 4 μg/day), intravenous calcium gluconate (2.0 g/day), calcium citrate (2.0 g/day), and ergocalciferol (50,000 IU/day). Her serum calcium levels remained normal on this regimen after hospital discharge despite persistent hypoparathyroidism. Bariatric surgery patients who undergo thyroid surgery require aggressive supplementation to maintain normal serum calcium levels. Preoperative supplementation with calcium and vitamin D is strongly recommended.

To perform a retrospective study on the patients who underwent aneurysmal surgery following endovascular treatment. We performed a retrospective study on eight patients who underwent aneurysmal surgery following endovascular treatment (-attempts) with gugliemi detachable coils (GDCs). The indications for surgery, surgical techniques and clinical outcomes were analyzed. The indications for surgical treatment after GDC coiling of aneurysm were classified into three groups. First group: surgery of incompletely coiled aneurysms (n=4). Second group: surgery of mass effect on the neural structures due to coil compaction or rebleeding (n=2). Third group: surgery of vascular complications after endovascular procedure due to parent artery occlusion or thrombus propagation from aneurysm (n=2). Aneurysm obliterations could be performed in all cases confirmed by postoperative angiography. Six patients had an excellent outcome and returned to their profession. Patient's visual acuity was improved. One individual experienced right hemiparesis (grade IV/V) and hemihypesthesia. Microsurgical clipping is rarely necessary for previously coiled aneurysms. Surgical treatment is uncommonly required when an acute complication arises during endovascular treatment, or when there is a dynamic change of a residual aneurysm configuration over time that is considered to be insecure.

The b1012 operon of Escherichia coli K-12, which is composed of seven unidentified ORFs, is one of the most highly expressed operons under control of nitrogen regulatory protein C. Examination of strains with lesions in this operon on Biolog Phenotype MicroArray (PM3) plates and subsequent growth tests indicated that they failed to use uridine or uracil as the sole nitrogen source and that the parental strain could use them at room temperature but not at 37 degrees C. A strain carrying an ntrB(Con) mutation, which elevates transcription of genes under nitrogen regulatory protein C control, could also grow on thymidine as the sole nitrogen source, whereas strains with lesions in the b1012 operon could not. Growth-yield experiments indicated that both nitrogens of uridine and thymidine were available. Studies with [(14)C]uridine indicated that a three-carbon waste product from the pyrimidine ring was excreted. After trimethylsilylation and gas chromatography, the waste product was identified by mass spectrometry as 3-hydroxypropionic acid. In agreement with this finding, 2-methyl-3-hydroxypropionic acid was released from thymidine. Both the number of available nitrogens and the waste products distinguished the pathway encoded by the b1012 operon from pyrimidine catabolic pathways described previously. We propose that the genes of this operon be named rutA-G for pyrimidine utilization. The product of the divergently transcribed gene, b1013, is a tetracycline repressor family regulator that controls transcription of the b1012 operon negatively.

To characterize important patterns of genetic testing behavior and reporting in modern electronic medical records (EMRs) at the institutional level. Retrospective observational study using EMR data of all 10,715 patients who received genetic testing by physicians trained in a primary care specialty or subspecialty at an academic medical center between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2010. Patients had a mean±SD age of 38.3±15.8 years (median 36.1, IQR 30.0-43.8). The proportion of female subjects in the study population was larger than in the general patient population (77.2% vs 55.0%, p<0.001) and they were younger than the male subjects in the study (36.5±13.2 vs 44.6±21.2 years, p<0.001). Approximately 1.1% of all patients received genetic testing. There were 942 physicians who ordered a total of 15,320 genetic tests. By volume, commonly tested genes involved mutations for cystic fibrosis (36.7%), prothrombin (13.7%), Tay-Sachs disease (6.7%), hereditary hemochromatosis (4.4%), and chronic myelogenous leukemia (4.1%). EMRs stored reports as free text with categorical descriptions of mutations and an average length of 269.4±153.2 words (median 242, IQR 146-401). In this study, genetic tests were often ordered by a diverse group of physicians for women of childbearing age being evaluated for diseases that may affect potential offspring. EMRs currently serve primarily as a storage warehouse for textual reports that could potentially be transformed into meaningful structured data for next-generation clinical decision support. Further studies are needed to address the design, development, and implementation of EMRs capable of managing the critical genetic health information challenges of the future.

An experiment was conducted comparing the effectiveness of individual versus group electronic brainstorming in order to address difficult, real world challenges. While industrial reliance on electronic communications has become ubiquitous, empirical and theoretical understanding of the bounds of its effectiveness have been limited. Previous research using short-term, laboratory experiments have engaged small groups of students in answering questions irrelevant to an industrial setting. The present experiment extends current findings beyond the laboratory to larger groups of real-world employees addressing organization-relevant challenges over the course of four days. Employees and contractors at a national security laboratory participated, either in a group setting or individually, in an electronic brainstorm to pose solutions to a 'wickedly' difficult problem. The data demonstrate that (for this design) individuals perform at least as well as groups in producing quantity of electronic ideas, regardless of brainstorming duration. However, when judged with respect to quality along three dimensions (originality, feasibility, and effectiveness), the individuals significantly (p<0.05) out-performed the group working together. When idea quality is used as the benchmark of success, these data indicate that work-relevant challenges are better solved by aggregating electronic individual responses, rather than electronically convening a group. This research suggests that industrial reliance upon electronic problem solving groups should be tempered, and large nominal groups might be the more appropriate vehicle for solving wicked corporate issues.

Learning to use a new electronic anesthesia information management system can be challenging. Documenting anesthetic events, medication administration, and airway management in an unfamiliar system while simultaneously caring for a patient with the vigilance required for safe anesthesia can be distracting and risky. This technical report describes a vendor-agnostic approach to training using a high-technology manikin in a simulated clinical scenario. Training was feasible and valued by participants but required a combination of electronic and manual components. Further exploration may reveal simulated patient care training that provides the greatest benefit to participants as well as feedback to inform electronic health record improvements.

Aim: It is believed that electronic medical records generated in a routine and disciplined manner by primary care doctors can potentially provide a very cost effective approach to disease monitoring. Part of the eHID project was concerned with a comparison of the actual epidemiological data that

Electrostatic collection of a high resistivity aerosol using the Electron Beam Precipitator (EBP) collecting section was demonstrated during this reporting period (Quarter Five). Collection efficiency experiments were designed to confirm and extend some of the work performed under the previous contract. The reason for doing this was to attempt to improve upon the collection efficiency of the precipitator alone when testing with a very high resistivity, moderate-to-high concentration dust load. From the collector shakedown runs, a set of suitable operational parameters were determined for the downstream electrostatic collecting sections of the Electron Beam Precipitator wind tunnel. These parameters, along with those for the MINACC electron beam, will generally be held constant while the numerous precharging parameters are varied to produce an optimum particle charge. The electrostatic collector experiments were part of a larger, comprehensive investigation on electron beam precharging of high resistivity aerosol particles performed during the period covered by Quarters Five, Six, and Seven. This body of work used the same experimental apparatus and procedures and the experimental run period lasted nearly continuously for six months. A summary of the Quarter Five work is presented in the following paragraphs. Section II-A of TPR 5 contains a report on the continuing effort which was expended on the modification and upgrade of the pulsed power supply and the monitoring systems prior to the initiation of the electron beam precharging experimental work.

Patau syndrome is the least common and most severe of the viable autosomal trisomies with median survival of fewer than 3 days was first identified as a cytogenetic syndrome in 1960. Patau syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 13. In this case report, we present antenatal imaging findings and gross foetal specimen correlation of foetus with Patau syndrome confirmed by karyotyping in third gravida who had significant previous obstetric history of gastrochisis in monochorionic and...

Brevundimonas diminuta is rarely associated with invasive infections. We report the case of a previously healthy young man with pleural effusion, in which B. diminuta was recovered but incorrectly identified as Kingella kingae when it was freshly isolated. Consequently, the misidentification resulted in initial treatment failure. The correct identification was achieved through further incubation, sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and MS.

Patau syndrome is the least common and most severe of the viable autosomal trisomies with median survival of fewer than 3 days was first identified as a cytogenetic syndrome in 1960. Patau syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 13. In this case report, we present antenatal imaging findings and gross foetal specimen correlation of foetus with Patau syndrome confirmed by karyotyping in third gravida who had significant previous obstetric history of gastrochisis in monochorionic and...

Secondary recurrent miscarriage (RM) is defined as three or more consecutive pregnancy losses after delivery of a viable infant. Previousreports suggest that a firstborn male child is associated with less favourable subsequent reproductive potential, possibly due to maternal immunisation against male-specific minor histocompatibility antigens. In a retrospective cohort study of 85 cases of secondary RM we aimed to determine if secondary RM was associated with (i) gender of previous child, maternal age, or duration of miscarriage history, and (ii) increased risk of pregnancy complications. Fifty-three women (62.0%; 53\\/85) gave birth to a male child prior to RM compared to 32 (38.0%; 32\\/85) who gave birth to a female child (p=0.002). The majority (91.7%; 78\\/85) had uncomplicated, term deliveries and normal birth weight neonates, with one quarter of the women previously delivered by Caesarean section. All had routine RM investigations and 19.0% (16\\/85) had an abnormal result. Fifty-seven women conceived again and 33.3% (19\\/57) miscarried, but there was no significant difference in failure rates between those with a previous male or female child (13\\/32 vs. 6\\/25, p=0.2). When patients with abnormal results were excluded, or when women with only one previous child were considered, there was still no difference in these rates. A previous male birth may be associated with an increased risk of secondary RM but numbers preclude concluding whether this increases recurrence risk. The suggested association with previous male birth provides a basis for further investigations at a molecular level.

Secondary recurrent miscarriage (RM) is defined as three or more consecutive pregnancy losses after delivery of a viable infant. Previousreports suggest that a firstborn male child is associated with less favourable subsequent reproductive potential, possibly due to maternal immunisation against male-specific minor histocompatibility antigens. In a retrospective cohort study of 85 cases of secondary RM we aimed to determine if secondary RM was associated with (i) gender of previous child, maternal age, or duration of miscarriage history, and (ii) increased risk of pregnancy complications. Fifty-three women (62.0%; 53\\/85) gave birth to a male child prior to RM compared to 32 (38.0%; 32\\/85) who gave birth to a female child (p=0.002). The majority (91.7%; 78\\/85) had uncomplicated, term deliveries and normal birth weight neonates, with one quarter of the women previously delivered by Caesarean section. All had routine RM investigations and 19.0% (16\\/85) had an abnormal result. Fifty-seven women conceived again and 33.3% (19\\/57) miscarried, but there was no significant difference in failure rates between those with a previous male or female child (13\\/32 vs. 6\\/25, p=0.2). When patients with abnormal results were excluded, or when women with only one previous child were considered, there was still no difference in these rates. A previous male birth may be associated with an increased risk of secondary RM but numbers preclude concluding whether this increases recurrence risk. The suggested association with previous male birth provides a basis for further investigations at a molecular level.

Microfluidics, a field that has been well-established for several decades, has seen extensive applications in the areas of biology, chemistry, and medicine. However, it might be very hard to imagine how such soft microfluidic devices would be used in other areas, such as electronics, in which stiff, solid metals, insulators, and semiconductors have previously dominated. Very recently, things have radically changed. Taking advantage of native properties of microfluidics, advances in microfluidics-based electronics have shown great potential in numerous new appealing applications, e.g. bio-inspired devices, body-worn healthcare and medical sensing systems, and ergonomic units, in which conventional rigid, bulky electronics are facing insurmountable obstacles to fulfil the demand on comfortable user experience. Not only would the birth of microfluidic electronics contribute to both the microfluidics and electronics fields, but it may also shape the future of our daily life. Nevertheless, microfluidic electronics are still at a very early stage, and significant efforts in research and development are needed to advance this emerging field. The intention of this article is to review recent research outcomes in the field of microfluidic electronics, and address current technical challenges and issues. The outlook of future development in microfluidic electronic devices and systems, as well as new fabrication techniques, is also discussed. Moreover, the authors would like to inspire both the microfluidics and electronics communities to further exploit this newly-established field.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (composed of automakers Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) announced in January 2002 a new cooperative research effort. Known as FreedomCAR (derived from ''Freedom'' and ''Cooperative Automotive Research''), it represents DOE's commitment to developing public-private partnerships to fund high risk, high payoff research into advanced automotive technologies. Efficient fuel cell technology, which uses hydrogen to power automobiles without air pollution, is a very promising pathway to achieve the ultimate vision. The new partnership replaces and builds upon the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles initiative that ran from 1993 through 2001. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machines (APEEM) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP) provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on developing revolutionary new power electronics (PE) and electric motor technologies that will leapfrog current on-the-road technologies. The research and development (R&D) is also aimed at achieving a greater understanding of and improvements in the way the various new components of tomorrow's automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency. In supporting the development of advanced vehicle propulsion systems, the APEEM subprogram has enabled the development of technologies that will significantly improve efficiency, costs, and fuel economy. The APEEM subprogram supports the efforts of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership through a three phase approach intended to: (1) identify overall propulsion and vehicle related needs by analyzing programmatic goals and reviewing industry's recommendations and requirements and then develop the appropriate technical targets for systems

Explains the application of electronic commerce techniques (electronic data interchange (EDI), electronic mail (E-mail), electronic bulletin boards...purchase procedures of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Changes to the FAR to recognize electronic commerce are recommended. Also discussed...are opportunities to use electronic commerce and small business and legal considerations of electronic commerce . This report describes how electronic

Superconducting tunnel junction (STJ) detectors offer a an approach to detecting soft x-rays with energy resolutions 4-5 times better and at rates 10 faster than traditions semiconductor detectors. To make such detectors feasible, however, then need to be deployed in large arrays of order 1000 detectors, which in turn implies that their processing electronics must be compact, fully computer controlled, and low cost per channel while still delivering ultra-low noise performance so as to not degrade the STJ's performance. We report on our progress in designing a compact, low cost preamplifier intended for this application. In particular, we were able to produce a prototype preamplifier of 2 sq-cm area and a parts cost of less than $30 that matched the energy resolution of the best conventional system to date and demonstrated its ability to acquire an STJ I-V curve under computer control, the critical step for determining and setting the detectors' operating points under software control.

Context Man-made vitreous fibers (MMVFs) are noncrystalline inorganic fibrous material used for thermal and acoustical insulation (e.g., rock wool, glass wool, glass microfibers, and refractory ceramic fibers). Neither epidemiologic studies of human exposure nor animal studies have shown a noticeable hazardous effect of glass wools on health. However, MMVFs have been anecdotally associated with granulomatous lung disease in several case reports. Case presentation Here, we describe the case of a patient with multiple bilateral nodular opacities who was exposed to glass wool fibers and coating materials for 7 years. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed an increased total cell count (predominantly macrophages) with numerous cytoplasmic particles. Lung biopsy showed peribronchiolar infiltration of lymphoid cells and many foreign-body–type granulomas. Alveolar macrophages had numerous round and elongated platelike particles inside the cytoplasm. X-ray microanalysis of these particles detected mainly oxygen/aluminum/silicon and oxygen/magnesium/silicon, compatible with kaolinite and talc, respectively. No elemental evidence for glass fibers was found in lung biopsy. Discussion The contribution of analytical electron microscopy applied in the lung biopsy was imperative to confirm the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis associated with a complex occupational exposure that included both MMVFs and coating materials. Relevance to clinical or professional practice This case study points out the possible participation of other components (coating materials), beyond MMVFs, in the etiology of pneumoconiosis. PMID:20123612

@@ Previously founded as CCPITMachinery and Electronics Sub-council and CCOIC Machinery and Electronics Chamber of Corn-merce in June, 1988, CCPIT Electronics Sub-Council and CCOIC Electronics Chamber of Commerce were established in May, 1993, and then renamed as CCPIT Electronics and Information Industry Sub-council and CCOIC Electronics and Infor-mation Industry Chamber of Commerce (CCPITECC) in September 1999.

appropriate technical targets for systems, subsystems, and component research and development activities; (2) Develop and validate individual subsystems and components, including electric motors, emission control devices, battery systems, power electronics, accessories, and devices to reduce parasitic losses; and (3) Determine how well the components and subsystems work together in a vehicle environment or as a complete propulsion system and whether the efficiency and performance targets at the vehicle level have been achieved. The research performed under the Vehicle Systems subprogram will help remove technical and cost barriers to enable technology for use in such advanced vehicles as hybrid and fuel-cell-powered automobiles that meet the goals of the FreedomCAR Program. A key element in making hybrid electric vehicles practical is providing an affordable electric traction drive system. This will require attaining weight, volume, and cost targets for the power electronics and electrical machines subsystems of the traction drive system. Areas of development include: (1) Novel traction motor designs that result in increased power density and lower cost; (2) Inverter technologies involving new topologies to achieve higher efficiency and the ability to accommodate higher-temperature environments; (3) Converter concepts that employ means of reducing the component count and integrating functionality to decrease size, weight, and cost; (4) More effective thermal control and packaging technologies; and (5) Integrated motor/inverter concepts. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center conducts fundamental research, evaluates hardware, and assists in the technical direction of the DOE Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies Program, Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Program. In this role, ORNL serves on the FreedomCAR Electrical and Electronics Technical Team, evaluates proposals for DOE, and lends its

Reliable, valid and cost-effective methods for the assessment of infant sleep and sleep problems are of major importance. In this study, the first aim was to assess the agreement of an electronic diary as well as a paper diary with actigraphy for measuring infant sleep patterns in a community sample. The second aim was to assess the feasibility and acceptance of, and compliance with, the electronic diary and the paper diary. Ninety parents reported infant sleep behavior in a paper diary in their home environments for a total of 6 days, 95 in an electronic diary, within two consecutive weeks while actigraphic data were obtained simultaneously. We found moderate to good agreement between electronic diaries and actigraphy (r = 0.41-0.65, P actigraphy (r = 0.47-0.70, P actigraphy for sleep percentage over 24 h (electronic diaries and actigraphy: 54.1 ± 0.7%, 52.5 ± 0.7%, P actigraphy: 55.1 ± 0.5%, 52.2 ± 0.6%, P actigraphy: 27.3 ± 0.9%, 23.5 ± 1.2%, P actigraphy: 27.3 ± 0.8%, 23.2 ± 1.0%, P sleep was recorded on actigraphy than on either diary. In conclusion, the electronic diary and the paper diary are valid and well-accepted methods for the assessment of infant sleep. Parents preferred the electronic diary but, conversely, they were less compliant in completing it.

Full Text Available Background: Whereas the effects of various socio-demographic determinants on a woman's risk of having an abortion are relatively well-documented, less attention has been given to the effect of previous abortions and births. Objective: To study the effect of previous abortions and births on Danish women's risk of an abortion, in addition to a number of demographic and personal characteristics. Data and methods: From the Fertility of Women and Couples Dataset we obtained data on the number of live births and induced abortions by year (1981-2001, age (16-39, county of residence and marital status. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the influence of the explanatory variables on the probability of having an abortion in a relevant year. Main findings and conclusion: A woman's risk of having an abortion increases with the number of previous births and previous abortions. Some interactions were was found in the way a woman's risk of abortion varies with calendar year, age and parity. The risk of an abortion for women with no children decreases while the risk of an abortion for women with children increases over time. Furthermore, the risk of an abortion decreases with age, but relatively more so for women with children compared to childless women. Trends for teenagers are discussed in a separate section.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (composed of automakers Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler) announced in January 2002 a new cooperative research effort. Known as FreedomCAR (derived from ''Freedom'' and ''Cooperative Automotive Research''), it represents DOE's commitment to developing public-private partnerships to fund high risk, high payoff research into advanced automotive technologies. Efficient fuel cell technology, which uses hydrogen to power automobiles without air pollution, is a very promising pathway to achieve the ultimate vision. The new partnership replaces and builds upon the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles initiative that ran from 1993 through 2001. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machines (APEEM) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP) provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on developing revolutionary new power electronics (PE) and electric motor technologies that will leapfrog current on-the-road technologies. The research and development (R&D) is also aimed at achieving a greater understanding of and improvements in the way the various new components of tomorrow's automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency. In supporting the development of advanced vehicle propulsion systems, the APEEM subprogram has enabled the development of technologies that will significantly improve efficiency, costs, and fuel economy. The APEEM subprogram supports the efforts of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership through a three phase approach intended to: (1) identify overall propulsion and vehicle related needs by analyzing programmatic goals and reviewing industry's recommendations and requirements and then develop the appropriate technical targets for systems

Electron transfer and other reactions of various short-lived intermediates have been studied by pulse radiolysis and laser flash photolysis. Highlights of results during the past year are summarized under two main sections: Metalloporphyrin electron transfer and associated reactions, and solvent effects on reactions of inorganic radicals and organic peroxyl radicals.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Adherences to treatments that require a behavioral action often rely on self-reported recall, yet it is vital to determine whether real time self reporting of adherence using a simple logbook accurately captures adherence. The purpose of this study was to determine whether real time self-reported adherence is an accurate measurement of device usage during a clinical trial by comparing it to electronic recording. Methods Using data collected from older adult men and women (N=135, mean age 82.3 yrs; range 66 to 98 yrs participating in a clinical trial evaluating a vibrating platform for the treatment of osteoporosis, daily adherence to platform treatment was monitored using both self-reported written logs and electronically recorded radio-frequency identification card usage, enabling a direct comparison of the two methods over one year. Agreement between methods was also evaluated after stratification by age, gender, time in study, and cognition status. Results The two methods were in high agreement (overall intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.96. The agreement between the two methods did not differ between age groups, sex, time in study and cognitive function. Conclusions Using a log book to report adherence to a daily intervention requiring a behavioral action in older adults is an accurate and simple approach to use in clinical trials, as evidenced by the high degree of concordance with an electronic monitor. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00396994

Full Text Available Patau syndrome is the least common and most severe of the viable autosomal trisomies with median survival of fewer than 3 days was first identified as a cytogenetic syndrome in 1960. Patau syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 13. In this case report, we present antenatal imaging findings and gross foetal specimen correlation of foetus with Patau syndrome confirmed by karyotyping in third gravida who had significant previous obstetric history of gastrochisis in monochorionic and monoamniotic twins who died at 14 weeks of gestation. [Int J Res Med Sci 2014; 2(3.000: 1172-1175

. We conclude that despite implementation of electronic prescribing and automated reporting of eGFR, patients with renal insufficiency may still be exposed to inappropriate drug use, with potential increased risk of adverse effects. Initiatives to reduce medication errors such as the use of electronic......GFR in the range of 10-49 ml/min/1.73m(2) were included. We identified 436 episodes with administration of renal risk drugs (prescribed to 183 patients): 410 drugs required dose adjustment according to the eGFR and 26 should be avoided. In total, the use or dosing of 66 (15%) of the 436 renal risk drugs...

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) recently has been applied to benign thyroid nodules, mainly for the cosmetic reasons, and limited cases of local recurrences or focal distant metastases of well-differentiated thyroid cancer, in the high-risk reoperative condition or for the palliative purpose. But no report has been made on the RFA for primary thyroid cancer to date. We report on a patient with primary papillary carcinoma of thyroid gland who had undergone RFA before the cytological diagnosis of malignancy, later referred and treated with robotic surgery successfully. We can learn the following lessons from our case; (1) the RFA for operable primary thyroid malignancy should be avoided, because of the possibility of remnant viable cancer and undetectable nodal metastasis, and (2) robotic or endoscopic thyroid surgery may be a feasible operative method for benign or malignant thyroid nodules previously treated with RFA.

Full Text Available Radiofrequency ablation (RFA recently has been applied to benign thyroid nodules, mainly for the cosmetic reasons, and limited cases of local recurrences or focal distant metastases of well-differentiated thyroid cancer, in the high-risk reoperative condition or for the palliative purpose. But no report has been made on the RFA for primary thyroid cancer to date. We report on a patient with primary papillary carcinoma of thyroid gland who had undergone RFA before the cytological diagnosis of malignancy, later referred and treated with robotic surgery successfully. We can learn the following lessons from our case; (1 the RFA for operable primary thyroid malignancy should be avoided, because of the possibility of remnant viable cancer and undetectable nodal metastasis, and (2 robotic or endoscopic thyroid surgery may be a feasible operative method for benign or malignant thyroid nodules previously treated with RFA.

The PI led theoretical studies of correlated hybridization in transition metal complexes, compounds, and molecules, and of electron transport in DNA associated with nanoelectronic conformations attached to gold electrodes and in the presence of DNA repair proteins.

The research on theoretical atomic collisions that was funded at The Pennsylvania State University`s Wilkes-Barre Campus by DOE from 1986 to 1998 was carried out by Winger from 1986 to 1989 and by Winter and Alston from 1989 to 1998. The fundamental processes of electron transfer, ionization, and excitation in ion-ion, ion-atom, and, more recently, ion-molecule collisions were addressed. These collision processes were treated in the context of simple one-electron, quasi-one-electron, or two-electron systems in order to provide unambiguous results and reveal more clearly the collisional mechanisms. Winter`s work generally focused on the intermediate projectile-energy range corresponding to proton energies from about ten to a few hundred keV. In this velocity-matching energy range, the electron-transfer cross section reaches a peak, and many states, including electron-transfer and ionization states, contribute to the overall electron-cloud distribution and transition probabilities; a large number of states are coupled, and therefore perturbative approaches are generally inappropriate. These coupled-state calculations were sometimes also extended to higher energies to join with perturbative results. Alston concentrated on intermediate-energy asymmetric collision systems, for which coupling with the projectile is weaker, but many target states are included, and on high energies (MeV energies). Thus, while perturbation theory for electron transfer is valid, it is not adequate to first order. The studies by Winter and Alston described were often done in parallel. Alston also developed formal perturbative approaches not tied to any particular system. Materials studied included He{sup +}, Li{sup 2+}, Be{sup 3+}, B{sup 4+}, C{sup 5+}, and the H{sup +} + Na system.

to that previouslyreported for granular activated carbon (GAC). Although the biochars investigated were 1000 times less conductive than GAC, they stimulated DIET in co-cultures of Geobacter metallireducens with Geobacter sulfurreducens or Methanosarcina barkeri in which ethanol was the electron donor. Cells were...

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patient-reported Outcomes (PROs capturing e.g., quality of life, fatigue, depression, medication side-effects or disease symptoms, have become important outcome parameters in medical research and daily clinical practice. Electronic PRO data capture (ePRO with software packages to administer questionnaires, storing data, and presenting results has facilitated PRO assessment in hospital settings. Compared to conventional paper-pencil versions of PRO instruments, ePRO is more economical with regard to staff resources and time, and allows immediate presentation of results to the medical staff. The objective of our project was to develop software (CHES – Computer-based Health Evaluation System for ePRO in hospital settings and at home with a special focus on the presentation of individual patient’s results. Methods Following the Extreme Programming development approach architecture was not fixed up-front, but was done in close, continuous collaboration with software end users (medical staff, researchers and patients to meet their specific demands. Developed features include sophisticated, longitudinal charts linking patients’ PRO data to clinical characteristics and to PRO scores from reference populations, a web-interface for questionnaire administration, and a tool for convenient creating and editing of questionnaires. Results By 2012 CHES has been implemented at various institutions in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the UK and about 5000 patients participated in ePRO (with around 15000 assessments in total. Data entry is done by the patients themselves via tablet PCs with a study nurse or an intern approaching patients and supervising questionnaire completion. Discussion During the last decade several software packages for ePRO have emerged for different purposes. Whereas commercial products are available primarily for ePRO in clinical trials, academic projects have focused on data collection and presentation in daily

Electron beam precharging of a high resistivity aerosol was successfully demonstrated during this reporting period (Quarters Five and Six). The initial E-beam particle precharging experiments completed this term were designed to confirm and extend some of the work performed under the previous contract. There are several reasons for doing this: (1) to re-establish a baseline performance criterion for comparison to other runs, (2) to test several recently upgraded or repaired subsystems, and (3) to improve upon the collection efficiency of the electron beam precipitator when testing precharging effectiveness with a very high resistivity, moderate-to-high concentration dust load. In addition, these shakedown runs were used to determine a set of suitable operational parameters for the wind tunnel, the electrostatic collecting sections, and the MINACC E-beam accelerator. These parameters will generally be held constant while the precharging parameters are varied to produce an optimum particle charge.

The correlation of light and electron microscopy of complex tissues remains a major challenge. Here we report near-infrared branding (NIRB), which facilitates such correlation by using a pulsed, near-infrared laser to create defined fiducial marks in three dimensions in fixed tissue. As these marks are fluorescent and can be photo-oxidized to generate electron contrast, they can guide re-identification of previously imaged structures as small as dendritic spines by electron microscopy.

We report progress made during the period 15 September 1991--14 September 1992 on the project ``Experimental Investigations of Electron Capture from Atomic Hydrogen and Deuterium by Alpha Particles``. In the past year we have developed reliable, narrow energy spread, high-current sources of He{sup ++} based on direct-current magentron and electron-cyclotron resonance discharges. These sources have been proven on our test bench accelerator which has been upgraded to also allow us to test atomic hydrogen effusive targets. We have thus made substantial progress toward our goal of studying single electron capture from atomic hydrogen by doubly-ionized helium. A research plan for the upcoming year is also presented.

The Plasma Electron Microwave Source (PEMS) concept is a relativistic-electron plasma confined in a magnetic-mirror device. The stored energy is transformed into microwaves through amplification of whistler waves that can be launched externally for amplifier operation or generated spontaneously for oscillator operation. The anisotropy of the hot-electron temperature governs the maximum plasma energy density that can be stored, the amplification rates, and the saturated power level of the unstable whistler waves. This report summarizes the results of theoretical studies of (1) the critical aspects of hot-electron plasmas generated by ECH techniques, such as the Upper Off-Resonant Heating pioneered by Dandl in the ELMO series of experiments; and, (2) the spatial amplification rates of unstable whistler waves in these plasmas. It is shown that a substantial fraction of the energy stored in a hot-electron plasma can be transformed into repetitive pulses of microwave power by employing the PEMS approach, with typical values of gain, about 40db and bandwidth.

Electron beam (EB) curing is a technology that promises, in certain applications, to deliver lower cost and higher performance polymer matrix composite (PMC) structures compared to conventional thermal curing processes. PMCs enhance performance by making products lighter, stronger, more durable, and less energy demanding. They are essential in weight- and performance-dominated applications. Affordable PMCs can enhance US economic prosperity and national security. US industry expects rapid implementation of electron beam cured composites in aircraft and aerospace applications as satisfactory properties are demonstrated, and implementation in lower performance applications will likely follow thereafter. In fact, at this time and partly because of discoveries made in this project, field demonstrations are underway that may result in the first fielded applications of electron beam cured composites. Serious obstacles preventing the widespread use of electron beam cured PMCs in many applications are their relatively poor interfacial properties and resin toughness. The composite shear strength and resin toughness of electron beam cured carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites were about 25% and 50% lower, respectively, than those of thermally cured composites of similar formulations. The essential purpose of this project was to improve the mechanical properties of electron beam cured, carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites, with a specific focus on composite shear properties for high performance aerospace applications. Many partners, sponsors, and subcontractors participated in this project. There were four government sponsors from three federal agencies, with the US Department of Energy (DOE) being the principal sponsor. The project was executed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), NASA and Department of Defense (DOD) participants, eleven private CRADA partners, and two subcontractors. A list of key project contacts is provided in Appendix A. In order to properly

Electron beam (EB) curing is a technology that promises, in certain applications, to deliver lower cost and higher performance polymer matrix composite (PMC) structures compared to conventional thermal curing processes. PMCs enhance performance by making products lighter, stronger, more durable, and less energy demanding. They are essential in weight- and performance-dominated applications. Affordable PMCs can enhance US economic prosperity and national security. US industry expects rapid implementation of electron beam cured composites in aircraft and aerospace applications as satisfactory properties are demonstrated, and implementation in lower performance applications will likely follow thereafter. In fact, at this time and partly because of discoveries made in this project, field demonstrations are underway that may result in the first fielded applications of electron beam cured composites. Serious obstacles preventing the widespread use of electron beam cured PMCs in many applications are their relatively poor interfacial properties and resin toughness. The composite shear strength and resin toughness of electron beam cured carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites were about 25% and 50% lower, respectively, than those of thermally cured composites of similar formulations. The essential purpose of this project was to improve the mechanical properties of electron beam cured, carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composites, with a specific focus on composite shear properties for high performance aerospace applications. Many partners, sponsors, and subcontractors participated in this project. There were four government sponsors from three federal agencies, with the US Department of Energy (DOE) being the principal sponsor. The project was executed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), NASA and Department of Defense (DOD) participants, eleven private CRADA partners, and two subcontractors. A list of key project contacts is provided in Appendix A. In order to properly

Electronics and Electronic Systems explores the significant developments in the field of electronics and electronic devices. This book is organized into three parts encompassing 11 chapters that discuss the fundamental circuit theory and the principles of analog and digital electronics. This book deals first with the passive components of electronic systems, such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors. These topics are followed by a discussion on the analysis of electronic circuits, which involves three ways, namely, the actual circuit, graphical techniques, and rule of thumb. The remaining p

Our aim was to evaluate the results of automated surveillance of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) in Denmark using the national microbiology database (MiBa), and to describe the epidemiology of laboratory-confirmed LNB at a national level. MiBa-based surveillance includes electronic transfer of labora......Our aim was to evaluate the results of automated surveillance of Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) in Denmark using the national microbiology database (MiBa), and to describe the epidemiology of laboratory-confirmed LNB at a national level. MiBa-based surveillance includes electronic transfer...

Introduction: Open access publishing is becoming increasingly popular within the biomedical sciences. SciELO, the Scientific Electronic Library Online, is a digital library covering a selected collection of Brazilian scientific journals many of which provide open access to full-text articles. This library includes a number of dental journals some of which may include reports of clinical trials in English, Portuguese and/or Spanish. Thus, SciELO could play an important role as a source of evid...

Treatment with antidepressants is often compromised by substantial nonadherence. To understand nonadherence, specific medication-related behaviors and beliefs have been studied, but less is known about broader and temporally stable personality "traits." Furthermore, adherence has often been assessed by a single method. Hence, we investigated associations between the Big Five personality traits and adherence assessed by self-report, electronic drug use monitoring, and dispensing data. Using the Big Five Inventory, we assessed the personality traits "openness," "conscientiousness," "extraversion," "agreeableness," and "neuroticism" of patients treated with antidepressants who were invited through community pharmacies. Self-reported adherence was assessed with the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (score >24), electronic monitoring with medication event monitoring system (MEMS) devices (therapy days missed ≤ 10% and personality traits, the third and fourth quartiles of "conscientiousness" were associated with better self-reported adherence (odds ratio, 3.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.34-9.86 and odds ratio, 2.97; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-8.08; P ≤ 0.05). No relationships were found between personality traits and adherence assessed through electronic drug use monitoring or dispensing data. We therefore conclude that adherence to antidepressant therapy seems to be largely unrelated to personality traits.

The roots, stems, leaves, and vascular circuitry of higher plants are responsible for conveying the chemical signals that regulate growth and functions. From a certain perspective, these features are analogous to the contacts, interconnections, devices, and wires of discrete and integrated electronic circuits. Although many attempts have been made to augment plant function with electroactive materials, plants’ “circuitry” has never been directly merged with electronics. We report analog and digital organic electronic circuits and devices manufactured in living plants. The four key components of a circuit have been achieved using the xylem, leaves, veins, and signals of the plant as the template and integral part of the circuit elements and functions. With integrated and distributed electronics in plants, one can envisage a range of applications including precision recording and regulation of physiology, energy harvesting from photosynthesis, and alternatives to genetic modification for plant optimization. PMID:26702448

Mayaro fever is an acute, self-limited, febrile, mosquito-borne viral disease manifested by fever, chills, headache, myalgias, and arthralgias. The virus belongs to the family Togaviridae and the genus Alphavirus. Five other mosquito-borne viruses have been described as causing a similar dengue-like illness. The virus was first isolated in 1954, and the first epidemics were described in 1955 in Brazil and Bolivia. Other cases have been reported in Suriname, Brazil, Peru, French Guiana, and Trinidad. Up to 10 to 15% of febrile illnesses in endemic areas have been attributed to Mayaro virus. The exact pathogenesis and pathophysiology among humans is unknown. Animal models have demonstrated necrosis of skeletal muscle, periosteum, perichondrial tissues, and evidence of meningitis and encephalitis. All previous cases of Mayaro fever describe a self-limited illness. No reports of recurrent symptoms exist in the literature. This report describes a case of recurrent arthralgias in a military service member presenting to the emergency department.

Full Text Available Sarcoma development has been associated with genetics, irradiation, viral infections, and immunodeficiency. Reports of sarcomas arising in the setting of prior trauma, as in burn scars or fracture sites, are rare. We report a case of a leiomyosarcoma arising in an arm that had previously been replanted at the level of the elbow joint following traumatic amputation when the patient was eight years old. He presented twenty-four years later with a 10.8 cm mass in the replanted arm located on the volar forearm. The tumor was completely resected and pathology examination showed a high-grade, subfascial spindle cell sarcoma diagnosed as a grade 3 leiomyosarcoma with stage pT2bNxMx. The patient underwent treatment with brachytherapy, reconstruction with a free flap, and subsequently chemotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of leiomyosarcoma developing in a replanted extremity. Development of leiomyosarcoma in this case could be related to revascularization, scar formation, or chronic injury after replantation. The patient remains healthy without signs of recurrence at three-year follow-up.

The physics programme and the design are described of a new collider for particle and nuclear physics, the Large Hadron Electron Collider (LHeC), in which a newly built electron beam of 60 GeV, up to possibly 140 GeV, energy collides with the intense hadron beams of the LHC. Compared to HERA, the kinematic range covered is extended by a factor of twenty in the negative four-momentum squared, $Q^2$, and in the inverse Bjorken $x$, while with the design luminosity of $10^{33}$ cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$ the LHeC is projected to exceed the integrated HERA luminosity by two orders of magnitude. The physics programme is devoted to an exploration of the energy frontier, complementing the LHC and its discovery potential for physics beyond the Standard Model with high precision deep inelastic scattering measurements. These are designed to investigate a variety of fundamental questions in strong and electroweak interactions. The physics programme also includes electron-deuteron and electron-ion scattering in a $(Q^2, 1/x)$ ran...

To determine the use of technology in elementary school music instruction, a research project was conducted with 19 third and 24 fifth grade students and 24 college music education students, testing (1) music learning system with behavioral objectives, instructional specifications, and data analysis; and (2) an electronic keyboard instrument,…

A silicon carbide (SiC) based electronic temperature sensor prototype has been demonstrated to operate at 300°C. We showed continuous operation of 1,000 hours with SiC operational amplifier and surface mounted discreet resistors and capacitors on a ceramic circuit board. This feasibility demonstration is a major milestone in the development of high temperature electronics in general and high temperature geothermal exploration and well management tools in particular. SiC technology offers technical advantages that are not found in competing technologies such as silicon-on-insulator (SOI) at high temperatures of 200°C to 300°C and beyond. The SiC integrated circuits and packaging methods can be used in new product introduction by GE Oil and Gas for high temperature down-hole tools. The existing SiC fabrication facility at GE is sufficient to support the quantities currently demanded by the marketplace, and there are other entities in the United States and other countries capable of ramping up SiC technology manufacturing. The ceramic circuit boards are different from traditional organic-based electronics circuit boards, but the fabrication process is compatible with existing ceramic substrate manufacturing. This project has brought high temperature electronics forward, and brings us closer to commercializing tools that will enable and reduce the cost of enhanced geothermal technology to benefit the public in terms of providing clean renewable energy at lower costs.

A silicon carbide (SiC) based electronic temperature sensor prototype has been demonstrated to operate at 300°C. We showed continuous operation of 1,000 hours with SiC operational amplifier and surface mounted discreet resistors and capacitors on a ceramic circuit board. This feasibility demonstration is a major milestone in the development of high temperature electronics in general and high temperature geothermal exploration and well management tools in particular. SiC technology offers technical advantages that are not found in competing technologies such as silicon-on-insulator (SOI) at high temperatures of 200°C to 300°C and beyond. The SiC integrated circuits and packaging methods can be used in new product introduction by GE Oil and Gas for high temperature down-hole tools. The existing SiC fabrication facility at GE is sufficient to support the quantities currently demanded by the marketplace, and there are other entities in the United States and other countries capable of ramping up SiC technology manufacturing. The ceramic circuit boards are different from traditional organic-based electronics circuit boards, but the fabrication process is compatible with existing ceramic substrate manufacturing. This project has brought high temperature electronics forward, and brings us closer to commercializing tools that will enable and reduce the cost of enhanced geothermal technology to benefit the public in terms of providing clean renewable energy at lower costs.

Properties of highly correlated electrons, such as heavy fermion compounds, metal-insulator transitions, one-dimensional conductors and systems of restricted dimensionality are studied theoretically. The main focus is on Kondo insulators and impurity bands due to Kondo holes, the low-temperature magnetoresistivity of heavy fermion alloys, the n-channel Kondo problem, mesoscopic systems and one-dimensional conductors.

The effects of a multicomponent intervention (a self-operated video modeling and self-monitoring delivered via an electronic interactive whiteboard (IWB) and a system of least prompts) on skill acquisition and interaction behavior of two students with autism and one student with moderate intellectual disability were examined using a multi-probe…

We describe a haemodialysis patient who presented with an exacerbation of previously undiagnosed chronic focal myositis during a hospital admission for missed dialysis and chronic foot osteomyelitis. The association of focal myositis with haemodialysis has been reported once previously, but we report the third case in our experience and argue that it is probably more common than previously appreciated. We consider a focused differential diagnosis for a diabetic dialysis patient with leg pain and discuss important features of this rare condition. PMID:25342033

Full Text Available Many clinics still use monitor unit (MU calculations for electron treatment planning and/or quality assurance (QA. This work (1 investigates the clinical implementation of a dosimetry system including a modified American Association of Physicists in Medicine-task group-71 (TG-71-based electron MU calculation protocol (modified TG-71 electron [mTG-71E] and an independent commercial calculation program and (2 provides the practice recommendations for clinical usage. Following the recently published TG-71 guidance, an organized mTG-71E databook was developed to facilitate data access and subsequent MU computation according to our clinical need. A recently released commercial secondary calculation program - Mobius3D (version 1.5.1 Electron Quick Calc (EQC (Mobius Medical System, LP, Houston, TX, USA, with inherent pencil beam algorithm and independent beam data, was used to corroborate the calculation results. For various setups, the calculation consistency and accuracy of mTG-71E and EQC were validated by their cross-comparison and the ion chamber measurements in a solid water phantom. Our results show good agreement between mTG-71E and EQC calculations, with average 2% difference. Both mTG-71E and EQC calculations match with measurements within 3%. In general, these differences increase with decreased cutout size, increased extended source to surface distance, and lower energy. It is feasible to use TG71 and Mobius3D clinically as primary and secondary electron MU calculations or vice versa. We recommend a practice that only requires patient-specific measurements in rare cases when mTG-71E and EQC calculations differ by 5% or more.

Introduction and Purpose Use of electronic questionnaires to collect health-related quality-of-life data has evolved as an alternative to paper questionnaires. For the electronic questionnaire to be used interchangeably with the validated paper questionnaire, measurement properties similar to the original must be demonstrated. The aim of the present study was to assess the equivalence between the paper version and the electronic version of the thyroid-related quality-of-life questionnaire ThyPRO. Methods Patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism or autoimmune hypothyroidism in a clinically stable phase were included. The patients were recruited from two endocrine outpatient centers. All patients completed both versions in a randomized test-retest set-up. Scores were compared using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), paired t tests and Bland-Altman plots. Limits of agreement were compared with data from a previous paper-paper test-retest study. Results 104 patients were included. ICCs were generally high for the 13 scales, ranging from 0.76 to 0.95. There was a small but significant difference in the scale score between paper and electronic administration for the Cosmetic complaints scale, but no differences were found for any other scale. Bland-Altman plots showed similar limits of agreement compared to the earlier test-retest study of the paper version of ThyPRO. Conclusion Based on our analyses using ICCs, paired t tests and Bland-Altman plots, we found adequate agreement between the paper and electronic questionnaires. The statistically significant difference in score found in the Cosmetic complaints scale is small and probably clinically insignificant. PMID:27099841

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Open access publishing is becoming increasingly popular within the biomedical sciences. SciELO, the Scientific Electronic Library Online, is a digital library covering a selected collection of Brazilian scientific journals many of which provide open access to full-text articles.This library includes a number of dental journals some of which may include reports of clinical trials in English, Portuguese and/or Spanish. Thus, SciELO could play an important role as a source of evidence for dental healthcare interventions especially if it yields a sizeable number of high quality reports. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify reports of clinical trials by handsearching of dental journals that are accessible through SciELO, and to assess the overall quality of these reports. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Electronic versions of six Brazilian dental Journals indexed in SciELO were handsearched at www.scielo.br in September 2008. Reports of clinical trials were identified and classified as controlled clinical trials (CCTs - prospective, experimental studies comparing 2 or more healthcare interventions in human beings or randomized controlled trials (RCTs - a random allocation method is clearly reported, according to Cochrane eligibility criteria. CRITERIA TO ASSESS METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY INCLUDED: method of randomization, concealment of treatment allocation, blinded outcome assessment, handling of withdrawals and losses and whether an intention-to-treat analysis had been carried out. RESULTS: The search retrieved 33 CCTs and 43 RCTs. A majority of the reports provided no description of either the method of randomization (75.3% or concealment of the allocation sequence (84.2%. Participants and outcome assessors were reported as blinded in only 31.2% of the reports. Withdrawals and losses were only clearly described in 6.5% of the reports and none mentioned an intention-to-treat analysis or any similar procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The results of

Open access publishing is becoming increasingly popular within the biomedical sciences. SciELO, the Scientific Electronic Library Online, is a digital library covering a selected collection of Brazilian scientific journals many of which provide open access to full-text articles.This library includes a number of dental journals some of which may include reports of clinical trials in English, Portuguese and/or Spanish. Thus, SciELO could play an important role as a source of evidence for dental healthcare interventions especially if it yields a sizeable number of high quality reports. The aim of this study was to identify reports of clinical trials by handsearching of dental journals that are accessible through SciELO, and to assess the overall quality of these reports. Electronic versions of six Brazilian dental Journals indexed in SciELO were handsearched at www.scielo.br in September 2008. Reports of clinical trials were identified and classified as controlled clinical trials (CCTs - prospective, experimental studies comparing 2 or more healthcare interventions in human beings) or randomized controlled trials (RCTs - a random allocation method is clearly reported), according to Cochrane eligibility criteria. CRITERIA TO ASSESS METHODOLOGICAL QUALITY INCLUDED: method of randomization, concealment of treatment allocation, blinded outcome assessment, handling of withdrawals and losses and whether an intention-to-treat analysis had been carried out. The search retrieved 33 CCTs and 43 RCTs. A majority of the reports provided no description of either the method of randomization (75.3%) or concealment of the allocation sequence (84.2%). Participants and outcome assessors were reported as blinded in only 31.2% of the reports. Withdrawals and losses were only clearly described in 6.5% of the reports and none mentioned an intention-to-treat analysis or any similar procedure. The results of this study indicate that a substantial number of reports of trials and systematic

To determine the true incidence of complete uterine rupture and uterine dehiscence among women delivered by cesarean section after a previous cesarean section. Medical records of all women who delivered at University Hospital in Malmö, Sweden, during 2005-2009 (n = 21 420) were retrieved from the electronic patient record system (EPRS). After adjustment for inaccuracies, 716 women who had undergone repeat cesarean section were identified and their operation reports were reviewed. Descriptions of complete uterine rupture or uterine dehiscence in operation reports were compared with diagnoses registered in EPRS with International Classification of Diseases codes version 10 (ICD-10). Sensitivity and specificity of complete uterine rupture registration were calculated. There were 13 women with a registered diagnosis of uterine rupture. After reviewing medical records of women with repeat cesarean section, seven additional cases of complete uterine rupture, 33 cases of uterine dehiscence and 39 cases of extremely thin myometrium were identified. The incidence of complete uterine rupture and uterine dehiscence for women who delivered by repeat cesarean section was 2.8% and 10.1%, respectively. Diagnosis of complete uterine rupture was underreported in the EPRS by 35% and diagnosis of uterine dehiscence was missing in 100% of cases.

Electron impact excitation of the electronic states of SO2 was investigated. Differential, integral, and inelastic momentum transfer cross sections were obtained by normalizing the relative measurements to the elastic cross sections. The cross sections are given for seven spectral ranges of the energy-loss spectra extending from the lowest electronic state to near the first ionization limit. Most of the regions represent the overlap of several electronic transitions. No measurements for these cross sections have been reportedpreviously.

A 27-year-old Caucasian female complained of persistent, poorly localized abdominal pain of several months' duration, found to be due to a multicystic diffuse lesion involving omentum, peritoneum and pelvic viscera. Three resections were required within a ten-month period for symptomatic control. The tumor showed many of the clinical, operative, gross and light microscopic features of intra-abdominal lymphagioma. Tissues removed at the third operation, however, were examined by electron microscopy, and found to consist of a myriad of small cysts and channels lined by mesothelial cells. In view of these findings, the lesion was regarded as a cystic peritoneal mesothelioma. Similarities between lymphangioma and peritoneal mesothelioma are discussed. It is suggested that electron microscopic examination of lining cells of cystic lesions which are considered grossly consistent with lymphagiomas may yield additional similar cases.

The master project under which this work is funded had as its main objective to develop computational methods for modeling electronic excited-state and optical properties of various nanostructures. The specific goals of the computer science group were primarily to develop effective numerical algorithms in Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT). There were essentially four distinct stated objectives. The first objective was to study and develop effective numerical algorithms for solving large eigenvalue problems such as those that arise in Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods. The second objective was to explore so-called linear scaling methods or Methods that avoid diagonalization. The third was to develop effective approaches for Time-Dependent DFT (TDDFT). Our fourth and final objective was to examine effective solution strategies for other problems in electronic excitations, such as the GW/Bethe-Salpeter method, and quantum transport problems.

BACKGROUND: Data capture is one of the most expensive phases during the conduct of a clinical trial and the increasing use of electronic health records (EHR) offers significant savings to clinical research. To facilitate these secondary uses of routinely collected patient data, it is beneficial to know what data elements are captured in clinical trials. Therefore our aim here is to determine the most commonly used data elements in clinical trials and their availability in hospital EHR systems...

A protocol is presented for the calculation of monitor units (MU) for photon and electron beams, delivered with and without beam modifiers, for constant source-surface distance (SSD) and source-axis distance (SAD) setups. This protocol was written by Task Group 71 of the Therapy Physics Committee of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and has been formally approved by the AAPM for clinical use. The protocol defines the nomenclature for the dosimetric quantities used in these calculations, along with instructions for their determination and measurement. Calculations are made using the dose per MU under normalization conditions, D{sub 0}{sup ′}, that is determined for each user's photon and electron beams. For electron beams, the depth of normalization is taken to be the depth of maximum dose along the central axis for the same field incident on a water phantom at the same SSD, where D{sub 0}{sup ′} = 1 cGy/MU. For photon beams, this task group recommends that a normalization depth of 10 cm be selected, where an energy-dependent D{sub 0}{sup ′} ≤ 1 cGy/MU is required. This recommendation differs from the more common approach of a normalization depth of d{sub m}, with D{sub 0}{sup ′} = 1 cGy/MU, although both systems are acceptable within the current protocol. For photon beams, the formalism includes the use of blocked fields, physical or dynamic wedges, and (static) multileaf collimation. No formalism is provided for intensity modulated radiation therapy calculations, although some general considerations and a review of current calculation techniques are included. For electron beams, the formalism provides for calculations at the standard and extended SSDs using either an effective SSD or an air-gap correction factor. Example tables and problems are included to illustrate the basic concepts within the presented formalism.

A protocol is presented for the calculation of monitor units (MU) for photon and electron beams, delivered with and without beam modifiers, for constant source-surface distance (SSD) and source-axis distance (SAD) setups. This protocol was written by Task Group 71 of the Therapy Physics Committee of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and has been formally approved by the AAPM for clinical use. The protocol defines the nomenclature for the dosimetric quantities used in these calculations, along with instructions for their determination and measurement. Calculations are made using the dose per MU under normalization conditions, D'0, that is determined for each user's photon and electron beams. For electron beams, the depth of normalization is taken to be the depth of maximum dose along the central axis for the same field incident on a water phantom at the same SSD, where D'0 = 1 cGy/MU. For photon beams, this task group recommends that a normalization depth of 10 cm be selected, where an energy-dependent D'0 ≤ 1 cGy/MU is required. This recommendation differs from the more common approach of a normalization depth of dm, with D'0 = 1 cGy/MU, although both systems are acceptable within the current protocol. For photon beams, the formalism includes the use of blocked fields, physical or dynamic wedges, and (static) multileaf collimation. No formalism is provided for intensity modulated radiation therapy calculations, although some general considerations and a review of current calculation techniques are included. For electron beams, the formalism provides for calculations at the standard and extended SSDs using either an effective SSD or an air-gap correction factor. Example tables and problems are included to illustrate the basic concepts within the presented formalism.

The site-specific cancer checklists developed by the College of American Pathologists have the potential to improve the quality of data derived from pathology reports and incorporated into cancer registry databases and are now mandated report elements by various accrediting bodies. A pilot project, funded by the Centers for Disease Control National Project for Cancer Registries in 2004, brought 4 pathology services in 3 states, with differing baseline implementations of the checklists, the opportunity to partner with their state National Project for Cancer Registry and their laboratory information system vendors to evaluate the feasibility of using electronically encoded College of American Pathologists cancer checklists for melanoma and tumors of the breast and prostate. To identify existing and potential barriers to adoption of electronically encoded checklists and to also identify unique benefits not associated with text-only uses of the checklists. Participants mapped an implementation process from their current state to an electronic checklist-capable state. For a sample of cases of melanoma, prostate, and breast cancers, the checklist elements were captured and transmitted to the registry using Health Level 7 (version 2.3.1). Process assessments with adoption of electronic checklists were conducted to assess pathologist effect and other potential barriers. An evaluation of the utility and usefulness of electronic checklists was performed after the project. All 4 laboratories successfully performed the capture of individual data elements from the College of American Pathologists checklist into a discrete format suitable for electronic transmission. The effect on pathologist performance and laboratory workflow was neutral. Points of resistance were identified in the checklists and in individual users. Specific challenges in individual laboratories varied according to the personnel and the baseline system in use. Clinical responses to implemented changes were

Two cases of acinic cell carcinoma arising in the glossopalatine glands were examined with the electron microscope by means of conventional thin sectioning and freeze-fracturing. Light and electron microscopic observation revealed that the tumors consisted of three types of cells: serous-type, ductlike, and vacuolated cells. Serous-type cells had numerous secretory granules, some of which were discharged into the intercellular spaces. Ductlike cells were smaller, usually lacked secretory granules, and were similar to intercalated duct cells. Vacuolated cells had electron-opaque vacuoles in the cytoplasm. Our findings supported the hypothesis that acinic cell carcinoma may represent a neoplasm of multipotential duct cells which have differentiated mainly into granulated serous cells. Freeze-fracture images of this tumor revealed that tight junctions were composed of ten or more interlinked strands with elongation of basal frontier strands. These findings suggested that the junctional morphology of the tumor resembled that of developing salivary glands and was associated with the degree of cellular differentiation.

Work in nanoscience has increased substantially in recent years owing to its potential technological applications and to fundamental scientific interest. A driving force for this activity is to capitalize on new phenomena that occurs at the nanoscale. For example, the physical confinement of electronic states, i.e., quantum confinement, can dramatically alter the electronic and optical properties of matter. A prime example of this occurs for the optical properties of nanoscale crystals such as those composed of elemental silicon. Silicon in the bulk state is optically inactive due to the small size of the optical gap, which can only be accessed by indirect transitions. However, at the nanoscale, this material becomes optically active. The size of the optical gap is increased by confinement and the conservation of crystal momentum ceases to hold, resulting in the viability of indirect transitions. Our work associated with this grant has focused on developing new scalable algorithms for describing the electronic and optical properties of matter at the nanoscale such as nano structures of silicon and related semiconductor properties.

An experiment was conducted comparing the effectiveness of individual versus group electronic brainstorming in order to address difficult, real world challenges. While industrial reliance on electronic communications has become ubiquitous, empirical and theoretical understanding of the bounds of its effectiveness have been limited. Previous research using short-term, laboratory experiments have engaged small groups of students in answering questions irrelevant to an industrial setting. The current experiment extends current findings beyond the laboratory to larger groups of real-world employees addressing organization-relevant challenges over the course of four days. Findings are twofold. First, the data demonstrate that (for this design) individuals perform at least as well as groups in producing quantity of electronic ideas, regardless of brainstorming duration. However, when judged with respect to quality along three dimensions (originality, feasibility, and effectiveness), the individuals significantly (p<0.05) out performed the group working together. The theoretical and applied (e.g., cost effectiveness) implications of this finding are discussed. Second, the current experiment yielded several viable solutions to the wickedly difficult problem that was posed.

This is a brief progress report, covering our research in general plasma theory and simulation, plasma-wall physics theory and simulation, and code development. Reports written in this period are included with this mailing. A publications list plus abstracts for two major meetings are included.

A major effort during this subcontract period has been to evaluate the microcrystalline Si material under development at United Solar Ovonics Corporation (USOC). This material is actually a hydrogenated nanocrystalline form of Si and it will be denoted in this report as nc-Si:H. Second, we continued our studies of the BP Solar high-growth samples. Third, we evaluated amorphous silicon-germanium alloys produced by the hot-wire chemical vapor deposition growth process. This method holds some potential for higher deposition rate Ge alloy materials with good electronic properties. In addition to these three major focus areas, we examined a couple of amorphous germanium (a-Ge:H) samples produced by the ECR method at Iowa State University. Our studies of the electron cyclotron resonance a-Ge:H indicated that the Iowa State a Ge:H material had quite superior electronic properties, both in terms of the drive-level capacitance profiling deduced defect densities, and the transient photocapacitance deduced Urbach energies. Also, we characterized several United Solar a Si:H samples deposited very close to the microcrystalline phase transition. These samples exhibited good electronic properties, with midgap defect densities slightly less than 1 x 1016 cm-3 in the fully light-degraded state.

Over the last two decades, the number of studies on electronic symptom reporting has increased greatly. However, the field is very heterogeneous: the choices of patient groups, health service innovations, and research targets seem to involve a broad range of foci. To move the field forward, it is necessary to build on work that has been done and direct further research to the areas holding most promise. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on electronic communication between patient and provider to improve health care service quality, presented in two parts. Part 2 investigates the methodological quality and effects of the RCTs, and demonstrates some promising benefits of electronic symptom reporting. To give a comprehensive overview of the most mature part of this emerging field regarding (1) patient groups, (2) health service innovations, and (3) research targets relevant to electronic symptom reporting. We searched Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and IEEE Xplore for original studies presented in English-language articles published from 1990 to November 2011. Inclusion criteria were RCTs of interventions where patients or parents reported health information electronically to the health care system for health care purposes and were given feedback. Of 642 records identified, we included 32 articles representing 29 studies. The included articles were published from 2002, with 24 published during the last 5 years. The following five patient groups were represented: respiratory and lung diseases (12 studies), cancer (6), psychiatry (6), cardiovascular (3), and diabetes (1). In addition to these, 1 study had a mix of three groups. All included studies, except 1, focused on long-term conditions. We identified four categories of health service innovations: consultation support (7 studies), monitoring with clinician support (12), self-management with clinician support (9

Full Text Available Measles is caused by measles virus belonging to genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. Vaccination has played a critical role in controlling measles infection worldwide. However, in the recent years, outbreaks of measles infection still occur in many developing countries. Here, we report an outbreak of measles among healthcare workers and among the 60 measles infected patients 50 were healthcare workers including doctors, nurses, staff, and medics. Fifty-one patients (85% tested positive for IgM antibodies against the measles virus and 50 patients (83.3% tested positive for measles virus RNA. Surprisingly, 73.3% of the infected individuals had been previously immunized against measles. Since there is no infection division in our hospital, the fever clinics are located in the Emergency Division. In addition, the fever and rash were not recognized as measles symptoms at the beginning of the outbreak. These factors result in delay in isolation and early confirmation of the suspected patients and eventually a measles outbreak in the hospital. Our report highlights the importance of following a two-dose measles vaccine program in people including the healthcare workers. In addition, vigilant attention should be paid to medical staff with clinical fever and rash symptoms to avoid a possible nosocomial transmission of measles infection.

Full Text Available Brain metastases arise in 10%–40% of all cancer patients. Up to one third of the patients do not have previous cancer history. We report a case of a 67-years-old male patient who presented with confusion, tremor, and apraxia. A brain MRI revealed an isolated right temporal lobe lesion. A thorax-abdomen-pelvis CT scan showed no primary lesion. The patient underwent a craniotomy with gross-total resection. Histopathology revealed an intestinal-type adenocarcinoma. A colonoscopy found no primary lesion, but a PET-CT scan showed elevated FDG uptake in the appendiceal nodule. A right hemicolectomy was performed, and the specimen showed a moderately differentiated mucinous appendiceal adenocarcinoma. Whole brain radiotherapy was administrated. A subsequent thorax-abdomen CT scan revealed multiple lung and hepatic metastasis. Seven months later, the patient died of disease progression. In cases of undiagnosed primary lesions, patients present in better general condition, but overall survival does not change. Eventual identification of the primary tumor does not affect survival. PET/CT might be a helpful tool in detecting lesions of the appendiceal region. To the best of our knowledge, such a case was never reported in the literature, and an appendiceal malignancy should be suspected in patients with brain metastasis from an undiagnosed primary tumor.

Measles is caused by measles virus belonging to genus Morbillivirus of the family Paramyxoviridae. Vaccination has played a critical role in controlling measles infection worldwide. However, in the recent years, outbreaks of measles infection still occur in many developing countries. Here, we report an outbreak of measles among healthcare workers and among the 60 measles infected patients 50 were healthcare workers including doctors, nurses, staff, and medics. Fifty-one patients (85%) tested positive for IgM antibodies against the measles virus and 50 patients (83.3%) tested positive for measles virus RNA. Surprisingly, 73.3% of the infected individuals had been previously immunized against measles. Since there is no infection division in our hospital, the fever clinics are located in the Emergency Division. In addition, the fever and rash were not recognized as measles symptoms at the beginning of the outbreak. These factors result in delay in isolation and early confirmation of the suspected patients and eventually a measles outbreak in the hospital. Our report highlights the importance of following a two-dose measles vaccine program in people including the healthcare workers. In addition, vigilant attention should be paid to medical staff with clinical fever and rash symptoms to avoid a possible nosocomial transmission of measles infection. PMID:27366157

textabstractThe biopsy report for nonneoplastic kidney diseases represents a complex integration of clinical data with light, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopic findings. Practice guidelines for the handling and processing of the renal biopsy have previously been created. However, specific

Conventional computers excel in logic and accurate scientific calculations but make hard work of open ended problems that human brains handle easily. Even von Neumann—the mathematician and polymath who first developed the programming architecture that forms the basis of today's computers—was already looking to the brain for future developments before his death in 1957 [1]. Neuromorphic computing uses approaches that better mimic the working of the human brain. Recent developments in nanotechnology are now providing structures with very accommodating properties for neuromorphic approaches. This special issue, with guest editors James K Gimzewski and Dominique Vuillaume, is devoted to research at the serendipitous interface between the two disciplines. 'Synaptic electronics', looks at artificial devices with connections that demonstrate behaviour similar to synapses in the nervous system allowing a new and more powerful approach to computing. Synapses and connecting neurons respond differently to incident signals depending on the history of signals previously experienced, ultimately leading to short term and long term memory behaviour. The basic characteristics of a synapse can be replicated with around ten simple transistors. However with the human brain having around 1011 neurons and 1015 synapses, artificial neurons and synapses from basic transistors are unlikely to accommodate the scalability required. The discovery of nanoscale elements that function as 'memristors' has provided a key tool for the implementation of synaptic connections [2]. Leon Chua first developed the concept of the 'The memristor—the missing circuit element' in 1971 [3]. In this special issue he presents a tutorial describing how memristor research has fed into our understanding of synaptic behaviour and how they can be applied in information processing [4]. He also describes, 'The new principle of local activity, which uncovers a minuscule life-enabling "Goldilocks zone", dubbed the

This report describes basic issues behind CdTe/CdS cell performance and stability, such as the nature and electronic properties of impurities and defects that control the majority carrier concentration, mechanisms of dopant compensation, recombination processes, their nature and properties, migration and transformation of defects under various processing, stress, and operating conditions. We believe that a better basic understanding of the specific influence of grain boundaries, especially for fine-grain materials such as those making up CdTe-based cells, is now one of the most important issues we must address. We need to clarify the role of grain boundaries in forming the film electronic properties, as well as those of the p-n junction.

Maitra, Neepa [Hunter College City University of New York, New York, NY (United States)

2016-07-14

This project investigates the accuracy of currently-used functionals in time-dependent density functional theory, which is today routinely used to predict and design materials and computationally model processes in solar energy conversion. The rigorously-based electron-ion dynamics method developed here sheds light on traditional methods and overcomes challenges those methods have. The fundamental research undertaken here is important for building reliable and practical methods for materials discovery. The ultimate goal is to use these tools for the computational design of new materials for solar cell devices of high efficiency.

We explored methodological issues related to antiretroviral adherence assessment, using 6 months of data collected in a completed intervention trial involving 136 low-income HIV-positive outpatients in the Bronx, NY. Findings suggest that operationalizing adherence as a continuous (versus dichotomous) variable and averaging adherence estimates over multiple assessment points (versus using only one) explains greater variance in HIV-1 RNA viral load (VL). Self-reported estimates provided during a phone interview accounted for similar variance in VL as EDM estimates (R (2) = .17 phone versus .18 EDM). Self-reported adherence was not associated with a standard social desirability measure, and no difference in the accuracy of self-report adherence was observed for assessment periods of 1-3 days. Self-reported poor adherence was more closely associated with EDM adherence estimates than self-reported moderate and high adherence. On average across assessment points, fewer than 4% of participants who reported taking a dose of an incorrect amount of medication.

This paper describes preliminary work evaluating automated semantic indexing of radiology imaging reports to represent images stored in the Image Engine multimedia medical record system at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The authors used the SAPHIRE indexing system to automatically identify important biomedical concepts within radiology reports and represent these concepts with terms from the 1998 edition of the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus. This automated UMLS indexing was then compared with manual UMLS indexing of the same reports. Human indexing identified appropriate UMLS Metathesaurus descriptors for 81% of the important biomedical concepts contained in the report set. SAPHIRE automatically identified UMLS Metathesaurus descriptors for 64% of the important biomedical concepts contained in the report set. The overall conclusions of this pilot study were that the UMLS metathesaurus provided adequate coverage of the majority of the important concepts contained within the radiology report test set and that SAPHIRE could automatically identify and translate almost two thirds of these concepts into appropriate UMLS descriptors. Further work is required to improve both the recall and precision of this automated concept extraction process.

To determine whether aspirin plus a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) is preferable, from a gastrointestinal bleed (GIB) risk perspective, to clopidogrel in patients who have experienced a GIB while on aspirin and who require single antiplatelet therapy for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. A literature search was conducted using EMBASE (1980-January 2008), PubMed (1966-January 2008), Google, and a manual search of the reference lists using the search terms gastrointestinal bleed, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, peptic ulcer hemorrhage, ASA, aspirin, Plavix, clopidogrel, and PPI. The search, limited to human and English studies, yielded 110 returns. Randomized trials that compared aspirin with clopidogrel, involved patients who had previously experienced a GIB, and provided detailed information on the type and dose of drugs used were included. Studies were required to provide information on the recurrence of GIB. Two randomized trials were reviewed to assess the safety of secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease with respect to previous GIB. These noninferiority trials compared aspirin plus a PPI with clopidogrel over 12 months following confirmed healing of an aspirin-induced ulcer. In both trials, the majority of the GIB recurrences were in the clopidogrel group (8.6% vs 0.7%; difference 7.9%; 95% CI 3.4 to 12.4; p = 0.001 and 13.6% vs 0%; difference 13.6%; 95% CI 6.3 to 20.9; p = 0.0019) and the difference in recurrence rates exceeded the a priori selected upper boundary. Findings reported in the limited literature available support that clopidogrel is not equivalent to the combination of aspirin plus a PPI in the patient population studied. Aspirin plus a PPI would be considered clinically superior and should be used in medically managed patients who require single antiplatelet therapy but have had a prior GIB while on aspirin. Further research regarding dual antiplatelet therapy and a PPI is required.

This project addresses key issues of importance in the geochemical behavior of iron oxides and in the geochemical cycling of carbon and iron. For Fe, we are specifically studying the influence of carbonate on electron transfer reactions, solid phase transformations, and the binding of carbonate to reactive sites on the edges of particles. The emphasis on carbonate arises because it is widely present in the natural environment, is known to bind strongly to oxide surfaces, is reactive on the time scales of interest, and has a speciation driven by acid-base reactions. The geochemical behavior of carbonate strongly influences global climate change and CO{sub 2} sequestration technologies. Our goal is to answer key questions with regards to specific site binding, electron transfer reactions, and crystallization reactions of iron oxides that impact both the geochemical cycling of iron and CO{sub 2} species. Our work is focused on the molecular level description of carbonate chemistry in solution including the prediction of isotope fractionation factors. We have also done work on critical atmospheric species.

This report is a comparative review of spin electronics ("spintronics") research and development activities in the United States, Japan, and Western Europe conducted by a panel of leading U.S. experts in the field. It covers materials, fabrication and characterization of magnetic nanostructures, magnetism and spin control in magnetic nanostructures, magneto-optical properties of semiconductors, and magnetoelectronics and devices. The panel's conclusions are based on a literature review and a series of site visits to leading spin electronics research centers in Japan and Western Europe. The panel found that Japan is clearly the world leader in new material synthesis and characterization; it is also a leader in magneto-optical properties of semiconductor devices. Europe is strong in theory pertaining to spin electronics, including injection device structures such as tunneling devices, and band structure predictions of materials properties, and in development of magnetic semiconductors and semiconductor heterost...

Aim This qualitative study investigates how the Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome (ePRO) mobile application and portal system, designed to capture patient-reported measures to support self-management, affected primary care provider workflows. The Canadian health system is facing an ageing population that is living with chronic disease. Disruptive innovations like mobile health technologies can help to support health system transformation needed to better meet the multifaceted needs of the complex care patient. However, there are challenges with implementing these technologies in primary care settings, in particular the effect on primary care provider workflows. Over a six-week period interdisciplinary primary care providers (n=6) and their complex care patients (n=12), used the ePRO mobile application and portal to collaboratively goal-set, manage care plans, and support self-management using patient-reported measures. Secondary thematic analysis of focus groups, training sessions, and issue tracker reports captured user experiences at a Toronto area Family Health Team from October 2014 to January 2015. Findings Key issues raised by providers included: liability concerns associated with remote monitoring, increased documentation activities due to a lack of interoperability between the app and the electronic patient record, increased provider anxiety with regard to the potential for the app to disrupt and infringe upon appointment time, and increased demands for patient engagement. Primary care providers reported the app helped to focus care plans and to begin a collaborative conversation on goal-setting. However, throughout our investigation we found a high level of provider resistance evidenced by consistent attempts to shift the app towards fitting with existing workflows rather than adapting much of their behaviour. As health systems seek innovative and disruptive models to better serve this complex patient population, provider change resistance will need to

The eMonitor is a component of the ePatient system; a prototype system used by emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in the field to record and transmits electronic patient care report (ePCR) information interactively. The eMonitor component allows each Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) on an unreliable Cisco MobileIP wireless network to securely send and received XML messages used to update patient information to and from the MDT before, during and after the transport of a patient.

The following topics were dealt with: An electronic log-book, architecture of an interlock system for TTF2/XFE, the Hermes recoil detector, digital high-frequency regulation for the UV-FEL, temperature measurment below 5 K and cryo-controller, professional data acquisition and control, maximal scalableness with LabVIEW, EtherCat, Ethernet power links, new bus standards like PCI-X, Infiniband, VME 2eSST, measurement of the real-time behaviour of Simatic S7 controls in the context of physical experiments, semiconductor technology, a measurement place for laser-induced RF conductivity, parallel-course regulation of fast mobile robots, serial data transmission of time-critical signals for multidetectors. (HSI)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced in May 2011 a new cooperative research effort comprising DOE, the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (composed of automakers Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, and Chrysler Group), Tesla Motors, and representatives of the electric utility and petroleum industries. Known as U.S. DRIVE (Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle efficiency and Energy sustainability), it represents DOE's commitment to developing public-private partnerships to fund high risk-high reward research into advanced automotive technologies. The new partnership replaces and builds upon the partnership known as FreedomCAR (derived from 'Freedom' and 'Cooperative Automotive Research') that ran from 2002 through 2010 and the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles initiative that ran from 1993 through 2001. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Power Electronics and Electric Machines (PEEM) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP) provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on developing revolutionary new power electronics (PE), electric motor (EM), and traction drive system technologies that will leapfrog current on-the-road technologies. The research and development (R&D) is also aimed at achieving a greater understanding of and improvements in the way the various new components of tomorrow's automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency. In supporting the development of advanced vehicle propulsion systems, the PEEM subprogram has enabled the development of technologies that will significantly improve efficiency, costs, and fuel economy. The PEEM subprogram supports the efforts of the U.S. DRIVE partnership through a three phase approach intended to: (1) identify overall propulsion and vehicle related needs by analyzing programmatic goals and reviewing industry

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced in May 2011 a new cooperative research effort comprising DOE, the U.S. Council for Automotive Research (composed of automakers Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, and Chrysler Group), Tesla Motors, and representatives of the electric utility and petroleum industries. Known as U.S. DRIVE (Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle efficiency and Energy sustainability), it represents DOE's commitment to developing public-private partnerships to fund high risk-high reward research into advanced automotive technologies. The new partnership replaces and builds upon the partnership known as FreedomCAR (derived from 'Freedom' and 'Cooperative Automotive Research') that ran from 2002 through 2010 and the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles initiative that ran from 1993 through 2001. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory's (ORNL's) Power Electronics and Electric Machines (PEEM) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program (VTP) provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on developing revolutionary new power electronics (PE), electric motor (EM), and traction drive system technologies that will leapfrog current on-the-road technologies. The research and development (R&D) is also aimed at achieving a greater understanding of and improvements in the way the various new components of tomorrow's automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency. In supporting the development of advanced vehicle propulsion systems, the PEEM subprogram has enabled the development of technologies that will significantly improve efficiency, costs, and fuel economy. The PEEM subprogram supports the efforts of the U.S. DRIVE partnership through a three phase approach intended to: (1) identify overall propulsion and vehicle related needs by analyzing programmatic goals and reviewing industry

The effects of a multicomponent intervention (a self-operated video modeling and self-monitoring delivered via an electronic interactive whiteboard (IWB) and a system of least prompts) on skill acquisition and interaction behavior of two students with autism and one student with moderate intellectual disability were examined using a multi-probe across students design. Students were taught to operate and view video modeling clips, perform a chain of novel tasks and self-monitor task performance using a SMART Board IWB. Results support the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention in improving students' skill acquisition. Results also highlight the use of this technology as a self-operated and interactive device rather than a traditional teacher-operated device to enhance students' active participation in learning.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced in May 2011 a new cooperative research effort comprising DOE, the US Council for Automotive Research (composed of automakers Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, and Chrysler Group), Tesla Motors, and representatives of the electric utility and petroleum industries. Known as U.S. DRIVE (Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle efficiency and Energy sustainability), it represents DOE’s commitment to developing public–private partnerships to fund high-risk–high-reward research into advanced automotive technologies. The new partnership replaces and builds upon the partnership known as FreedomCAR (derived from “Freedom” and “Cooperative Automotive Research”) that ran from 2002 through 2010 and the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles initiative that ran from 1993 through 2001. Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL’s) Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Motors (APEEM) subprogram within the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) provides support and guidance for many cutting-edge automotive technologies now under development. Research is focused on developing revolutionary new power electronics (PE), electric motor, and traction drive system (TDS) technologies that will leapfrog current on-the-road technologies, leading to lower cost and better efficiency in transforming battery energy to useful work. The research and development (R&D) is also aimed at achieving a greater understanding of and improvements in the way the various new components of tomorrow’s automobiles will function as a unified system to improve fuel efficiency through research in more efficient TDSs.

Ionization reactions are observed in crossed molecular beams, usually of thermal energy, alkalis and MoF/sub 6/, WF/sub 6/ and UF/sub 6/. Previous studies have indicated large electron affinities for these hexafluorides, and this is confirmed here. Ionization at thermal energies proceeds with the alkali dimers, A/sub 2/, for all three hexafluorides, but with alkali atoms, A, only for UF/sub 6/. Several ionization paths are observed, allowing the deduction of molecular energies. A few experiments are done with eV-range beams. Lower limits for the elecron affinities are 4.5, 3.3, 4.9, 4.3 and 1.9 eV for MoF/sub 6/, MoF/sub 5/, WF/sub 6/, UF/sub 6/ and UF/sub 5/, respectively. Possible mechanisms are discussed.

In a report issued in September 2000, the Federal Trade Commission reported that the motion picture, music recording, and electronic game segments of the entertainment industry intentionally promoted products to children that warranted parent cautions. This report responds to the request of the Senate Commerce Committee by focusing on advertising…

During the previousreporting period (Quarter Six), the charging and removal of a fine, high resistivity aerosol using the advanced technology of electron beam precipitation was successfully accomplished. Precharging a dust stream circulating through the EBP wind tunnel produced collection efficiency figures of up to 40 times greater than with corona charging and collection alone (Table 1). The increased system collection efficiency attributed to electron beam precharging was determined to be the result of increased particle charge. It was found that as precharger electric field was raised, collection efficiency became greater. In sequence, saturation particle charge varies with the precharger electric field strength, particle migration velocity varies with the precharger and collector electric field, and collection efficiency varies with the migration velocity. Maximizing the system collection efficiency requires both a high charging electric field (provided by the E-beam precharger), and a high collecting electric field (provided by the collector wires and plates). Because increased particle collection efficiency is directly attributable to higher particle charge, the focus of research during Quarter Seven was shifted to learning more about the actual charge magnitude on the aerosol particles. Charge determinations in precipitators have traditionally been made on bulk dust samples collected from the flue gas stream, which gives an overall charge vs. mass (Q/M) ratio measurement. More recently, techniques have been developed which allow the measurement of the charge on individual particles in a rapid and repeatable fashion. One such advanced technique has been developed at FSU for use in characterizing the electron beam precharger.

This grant, entitled “Experimental investigation of magnetic, superconducting and other phase transitions in novel f-electron materials at ultrahigh pressures,” spanned the funding period from May 1st, 2003 until April 30th, 2006. The major goal of this grant was to develop and utilize an ultrahigh pressure facility—capable of achieving very low temperatures, high magnetic fields, and extreme pressures as well as providing electrical resistivity, ac susceptibility, and magnetization measurement capabilities under pressure—for the exploration of magnetic, electronic, and structural phases and any corresponding interactions between these states in novel f-electron materials. Realizing this goal required the acquisition, development, fabrication, and implementation of essential equipment, apparatuses, and techniques. The following sections of this report detail the establishment of an ultrahigh pressure facility (Section 1) and measurements performed during the funding period (Section 2), as well as summarize the research project (Section 3), project participants and their levels of support (Section 4), and publications and presentations (Section 5).

The rich diversity and complexity of organic matter found in meteorites is rapidly expanding our knowledge and understanding of extreme environments from which the early solar system emerged and evolved. Here, we report the discovery of a hitherto unknown chemical class, dihydroxymagnesium carboxylates [(OH)2MgO2CR]−, in meteoritic soluble organic matter. High collision energies, which are required for fragmentation, suggest substantial thermal stability of these Mg-metalorganics (CHOMg compounds). This was corroborated by their higher abundance in thermally processed meteorites. CHOMg compounds were found to be present in a set of 61 meteorites of diverse petrological classes. The appearance of this CHOMg chemical class extends the previously investigated, diverse set of CHNOS molecules. A connection between the evolution of organic compounds and minerals is made, as Mg released from minerals gets trapped into organic compounds. These CHOMg metalorganic compounds and their relation to thermal processing in meteorites might shed new light on our understanding of carbon speciation at a molecular level in meteorite parent bodies. PMID:28242686

The rich diversity and complexity of organic matter found in meteorites is rapidly expanding our knowledge and understanding of extreme environments from which the early solar system emerged and evolved. Here, we report the discovery of a hitherto unknown chemical class, dihydroxymagnesium carboxylates [(OH)2MgO2CR](-), in meteoritic soluble organic matter. High collision energies, which are required for fragmentation, suggest substantial thermal stability of these Mg-metalorganics (CHOMg compounds). This was corroborated by their higher abundance in thermally processed meteorites. CHOMg compounds were found to be present in a set of 61 meteorites of diverse petrological classes. The appearance of this CHOMg chemical class extends the previously investigated, diverse set of CHNOS molecules. A connection between the evolution of organic compounds and minerals is made, as Mg released from minerals gets trapped into organic compounds. These CHOMg metalorganic compounds and their relation to thermal processing in meteorites might shed new light on our understanding of carbon speciation at a molecular level in meteorite parent bodies.

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of motoneuron cells in anterior spinal horns. There is a need for early and accurate diagnosis with this condition. In this case report we used two complementary methods: scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. This is the first report to our knowledge of microparticles in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Case presentation An 80-year-old Swedish man of Caucasian ethnicity presented to our facility with symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis starting a year before his first hospital examination, such as muscle weakness and twitching in his right hand progressing to arms, body and leg muscles. Electromyography showed classical neurophysiological findings of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Routine blood sample results were normal. A lumbar puncture was performed as a routine investigation and his cerebrospinal fluid was normal with regard to cell count and protein levels, and there were no signs of inflammation. However, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting showed pronounced abnormalities compared to healthy controls. Flow cytometry analysis of two fractions of cerebrospinal fluid from our patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was used to measure the specific binding of antibodies to CD42a, CD144 and CD45, and of phosphatidylserine to lactadherin. Our patient displayed over 100 times more phosphatidylserine-positive microparticles and over 400 times more cell-derived microparticles of leukocyte origin in his cerebrospinal fluid compared to healthy control subjects. The first cerebrospinal fluid fraction contained about 50% more microparticles than the second fraction. The scanning electron microscopy filters used with cerebrospinal fluid from our patient were filled with compact aggregates of spherical particles of

...) highlights activities such as counseling, marketing, meetings/conferences, and services to businesses as... Requests for Renewal of a Previously Approved Information Collection: Small Business Transportation... Quarterly Report Form (DOT F 4502) AGENCY: Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization...

.... Here, we report a previously unknown reovirus (named "Melaka virus") isolated from a 39-year-old male patient in Melaka, Malaysia, who was suffering from high fever and acute respiratory disease at the time of virus isolation...

The vacuum system of the injector for the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) has been analyzed and configured by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's New Technologies Engineering Division (NTED) as requested by the SLAC/LCLS program. The vacuum system layout and detailed analyses for the injector are presented in this final design report. The vacuum system was analyzed and optimized using a coupled gas load balance model of sub-volumes of the components to be evacuated.

surface of Shewanella oneidnesis. Using the same set of conjugated gold nanoparticles we employ (conjugations include amine, methyl and carboxylic...than platinum (Pt) during screening in “clean” conditions (PBS) (Figure 12), and no degradation in performance during the operation in wastewater...Figure 13. Voltage trend of MFCs over 16 days period of Fe-AAPyr (black), Pt ( blue ) and AC (red) cathode catalysts. Final report W911NF-12

This report documents an effort to generate the semi-analytic "2T" ion-electron shock solution developed in the paper by Masser, Wohlbier, and Lowrie [1], and the initial attempts to understand how to use this solution as a code-verification tool for one of LANL's ASC codes, xRAGE. Most of the work so far has gone into generating the semi-analytic solution. Considerable effort will go into understanding how to write the xRAGE input deck that both matches the boundary conditions imposed by the solution, and also what physics models must be implemented within the semi-analytic solution itself to match the model assumptions inherit within xRAGE. Therefore, most of this report focuses on deriving the equations for the semi-analytic 1D-planar time-independent "2T" ion-electron shock solution, and is written in a style that is intended to provide clear guidance for anyone writing their own solver.

This report documents an effort to generate the semi-analytic "2T" ion-electron shock solution developed in the paper by Masser, Wohlbier, and Lowrie, and the initial attempts to understand how to use this solution as a code-verification tool for one of LANL's ASC codes, xRAGE. Most of the work so far has gone into generating the semi-analytic solution. Considerable effort will go into understanding how to write the xRAGE input deck that both matches the boundary conditions imposed by the solution, and also what physics models must be implemented within the semi-analytic solution itself to match the model assumptions inherit within xRAGE. Therefore, most of this report focuses on deriving the equations for the semi-analytic 1D-planar time-independent "2T" ion-electron shock solution, and is written in a style that is intended to provide clear guidance for anyone writing their own solver.

This report is the fourth quarterly report of a project to develop and demonstrate an electron beam welding procedure for welding 8'' thick SA 387 Grade 22 Class 2 (2-1/4 Cr--1 Mo) steel. Due to the late arrival of the steel to be used in this project, a six month extension in the completion date has been made. Work is in progress for developing 4-1/2'' deep partial penetration electron beam welding procedures. A total of 257 welds have been made to date. Several defects have been encountered and successfully eliminated. The occurrence of a necklace defect, which has been shown to be a cold shut resulting from improper solidification, has not yet been eliminated. It has been observed that the beam oscillation pattern is influential on the behavior of the weld cavity during welding. In the vertical welding position, it has been determined that the use of a welding shoe is required.

A walk-through survey was made of the Martin Marietta Missile and Electronics Group, Orlando, Florida to evaluate worker exposure, protective equipment, and engineering controls used to reduce employee exposures to 2-methoxyethanol (2-ME), 2-methoxyethyl acetate (2-MEA), 2-ethoxyethanol (2-EE), and 2-ethoxyethyl-acetate (2-EEA). The facility was involved in the design, development, and production of missile and electro-optical systems used for aircraft and naval combat weapons programs. Of 38 field samples collected for each of the four target ethylene glycol ethers, only nine samples indicated the presence of any of the compounds and one sample indicated more than one to be present. Some skin protection was afforded by gloves, but the workers wore only ordinary street clothes and no respirators. Peak exposures to 2-EEA in the Hellfire area occurred during the spray painting of missiles. The authors recommend that local exhaust ventilation be installed at work stations in the Patriot area and that impermeable coveralls be given to workers in the Hellfire and Patriot areas.

This study presents a qualitative content analysis of nurses' satisfaction and issues with current electronic health record (EHR) systems, as reflected in one of the largest international surveys of nursing informatics. Study participants from 45 countries (n=469) ranked their satisfaction with the current state of nursing functionality in EHRs as relatively low. Two-thirds of the participants (n=283) provided disconcerting comments when explaining their low satisfaction rankings. More than one half of the comments identified issues at the system level (e.g., poor system usability; non-integrated systems and poor interoperability; lack of standards; and limited functionality/missing components), followed by user-task issues (e.g., failure of systems to meet nursing clinical needs; non nursing-specific systems) and environment issues (e.g., low prevalence of EHRs; lack of user training). The study results call for the attention of international stakeholders (educators, managers, policy makers) to improve the current issues with EHRs from a nursing perspective.

This case study describes the collaboration between a state public health department, a major research university, and a health extension service funded as part of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act to establish an interoperable health information system for disease surveillance through electronicreporting of systemic therapy data from numerous oncology practices in Kentucky. The experience of the Kentucky cancer surveillance system can help local and state entities achieve greater effectiveness in designing communication efforts to increase usage of electronic health records (EHRs) and health information exchanges (HIEs), help eligible clinicians meet these new standards in patient care, and conduct disease surveillance in a learning health system. We document and assess the statewide efforts of early health information technology (HIT) adopters in Kentucky to facilitate the nation's first electronic transmission of a clinical document architecture (CDA) from a physician office to a state cancer surveillance registry in November 2012. Successful transmission of the CDA not only represented a landmark for technology innovators, informaticists, and clinicians, but it also set in motion a new communication mechanism by which state and federal agencies can capture and trade vital cancer statistics in a way that is safe, secure, and timely. The corresponding impact this has on cancer surveillance and comparative effective research is immense. With guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Kentucky Cancer Registry (KCR), the Kentucky Health Information Exchange (KHIE), and the Kentucky Regional Extension Center (KREC) have moved one step further in transforming the interoperable health environment for improved disease surveillance. This case study describes the efforts of established and reputable agencies, including the KCR, the state department of health, state and federal governmental

In this paper we propose a portable instrument for alpha-particle detection based on a previously-developed BJT detector and a simple, IC-based readout electronics. Experimental tests of the BJT detector and readout electronics are reported. Numerical simulations are adopted to predict the performance enhancement achievable with optimized BJT detectors.

Full Text Available Purpose : Basal cell carcinoma (BCC is a very common cancer in the Caucasian population. Treatment aims to eradicate the tumor with the lowest possible functional and aesthetic impact. Electronic brachytherapy (EBT is a treatment technique currently emerging. This study aims to show the outcomes of two consecutive prospective pilot clinical trials using different radiation doses of EBT with Esteya® EB system for the treatment of superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma. Material and methods : Two prospective, single-center, non-randomized, pilot studies were conducted. Twenty patients were treated in each study with different doses. The first group (1 was treated with 36.6 Gy in 6 fractions of 6.1 Gy, and the second group (2 with 42 Gy in 6 fractions of 7 Gy. Cure rate, acute toxicity, and late toxicity related to cosmesis were analyzed in the two treatment groups. Results: In group 1, a complete response in 90% of cases was observed at the first year of follow-up, whereas in group 2, the complete response was 95%. The differences with reference to acute toxicity and the cosmetic results between the two treatment groups were not statistically significant. Conclusions : Our initial experience with Esteya® EB system to treat superficial and nodular BCC shows that a dose of 36.6 Gy and 42 Gy delivered in 6 fraction of 7 Gy achieves a 90% and 95% clinical cure rate at 1 year, respectively. Both groups had a tolerable toxicity and a very good cosmesis. The role of EBT in the treatment of BCC is still to be defined. It will probably become an established option for selected patients in the near future.

We report the first occurrence of an icosahedral quasicrystal with composition Al62.0(8)Cu31.2(8)Fe6.8(4), outside the measured equilibrium stability field at standard pressure of the previouslyreported Al-Cu-Fe quasicrystal (AlxCuyFez, with x between 61 and 64, y between 24 and 26, z between 12 and 13%). The new icosahedral mineral formed naturally and was discovered in the Khatyrka meteorite, a recently described CV3 carbonaceous chondrite that experienced shock metamorphism, local melting (with conditions exceeding 5 GPa and 1,200 °C in some locations), and rapid cooling, all of which likely resulted from impact-induced shock in space. This is the first example of a quasicrystal composition discovered in nature prior to being synthesized in the laboratory. The new composition was found in a grain that has a separate metal assemblage containing icosahedrite (Al63Cu24Fe13), currently the only other known naturally occurring mineral with icosahedral symmetry (though the latter composition had already been observed in the laboratory prior to its discovery in nature). The chemistry of both the icosahedral phases was characterized by electron microprobe, and the rotational symmetry was confirmed by means of electron backscatter diffraction.

Full Text Available Abstract This editorial introduces the new online, open access, peer-reviewed journal Trials. The journal considers manuscripts on any aspect of the design, performance, and findings of randomised controlled trials in any discipline related to health care, and also encourages the publication of protocols. Trialists will be able to provide the necessary detail for a true and complete scientific record. They will be able to communicate not only all outcome measures, as well as varying analyses and interpretations, but also in-depth descriptions of what they did and honest reflections about what they learnt. Trials also encourages articles covering generic issues related to trials, for example focussing on the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, or reporting.

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In the fields of power conversion devices and broadcasting/communication amplifiers, high power, high frequency and low losses are desirable. Further, for electronic elements in aerospace/aeronautical/geothermal surveys, etc., heat resistance to 500degC is required. Devices which respond to such hard specifications are called hard electronic devices. However, with Si which is at the core of the present electronics, the specifications cannot fully be fulfilled because of the restrictions arising from physical values. Accordingly, taking up new device materials/structures necessary to construct hard electronics, technologies to develop these to a level of IC were examined and studied. They are a technology to make devices/IC of new semiconductors such as SiC, diamond, etc. which can handle higher temperature, higher power and higher frequency than Si and also is possible of reducing losses, a technology to make devices of hard semiconducter materials such as a vacuum microelectronics technology using ultra-micro/high-luminance electronic emitter using negative electron affinity which diamond, etc. have, a technology to make devices of oxides which have various electric properties, etc. 321 refs., 194 figs., 8 tabs.

This Final Report describes efforts and results for a 3-year DoE/OST-EMSP project centered at NIST. The multidisciplinary project investigated scientific and technical concepts critical for developing tunable, MEMS-based, gas and vapor microsensors that could be applied for monitoring the types of multiple analytes (and differing backgrounds) encountered at DoE waste sites. Micromachined ''microhotplate'' arrays were used as platforms for fabricating conductometric sensor prototypes, and as microscale research tools. Efficient microarray techniques were developed for locally depositing and then performance evaluating thin oxide films, in order to correlate gas sensing characteristics with properties including composition, microstructure, thickness and surface modification. This approach produced temperature-dependent databases on the sensitivities of sensing materials to varied analytes (in air) which enable application-specific tuning of microsensor arrays. Mechanistic studies on adsorb ate transient phenomena were conducted to better understand the ways in which rapid temperature programming schedules can be used to produce unique response signatures and increase information density in microsensor signals. Chemometric and neural network analyses were also employed in our studies for recognition and quantification of target analytes.

The NASA Constellation Program is investigating and developing technologies to support human exploration of the Moon and Mars. The Component-Level Electronic-Assembly Repair (CLEAR) task is part of the Supportability Project managed by the Exploration Technology Development Program. CLEAR is aimed at enabling a flight crew to diagnose and repair electronic circuits in space yet minimize logistics spares, equipment, and crew time and training. For insight into actual space repair needs, in early 2008 the project examined the operational experience of the International Space Station (ISS) program. CLEAR examined the ISS on-orbit Problem Reporting and Corrective Action database for electrical and electronic system problems. The ISS has higher than predicted reliability yet, as expected, it has persistent problems. A goal was to identify which on-orbit electrical problems could be resolved by a component-level replacement. A further goal was to identify problems that could benefit from the additional diagnostic and test capability that a component-level repair capability could provide. The study indicated that many problems stem from a small set of root causes that also represent distinct component problems. The study also determined that there are certain recurring problems where the current telemetry instrumentation and built-in tests are unable to completely resolve the problem. As a result, the root cause is listed as unknown. Overall, roughly 42 percent of on-orbit electrical problems on ISS could be addressed with a component-level repair. Furthermore, 63 percent of on-orbit electrical problems on ISS could benefit from additional external diagnostic and test capability. These results indicate that in situ component-level repair in combination with diagnostic and test capability can be expected to increase system availability and reduce logistics. The CLEAR approach can increase the flight crew s ability to act decisively to resolve problems while reducing

-up time is needed for analysis of survival end points. The most common Common Terminology Criteria grade 3-4 investigator-reported adverse events were leucopenia (29%) and neutropenia (22%). No deaths have been reported. O-CHOP was safe and efficacious in patients with previously untreated FL, including...

Computer and Internet use in businesses and homes in the United States has dramatically increased since the early 1980s. In 2011, 76% of households reported having a computer, compared with only 8% in 1984 (File, 2013). A similar increase in Internet use has also been seen, with 72% of households reporting access of the Internet in 2011 compared with 18% in 1997 (File, 2013). This emerging trend in technology has prompted use of electronic surveys in the research community as an alternative to previous telephone and postal surveys. Electronic surveys can offer an efficient, cost-effective method for data collection; however, challenges exist. An awareness of the issues and strategies to optimize data collection using web-based surveys is critical when designing research studies. This column will discuss the different types and advantages and disadvantages of using electronic surveys in nursing research, as well as methods to optimize the quality and quantity of survey responses.

Research is reported of a project to develop and demonstrate an electron beam welding procedure for welding 8'' thick SA 387 Grade 22 Class 2 (2-1/4 Cr-1 Mo) steel. A total of 414 welds have been made to date. Partial penetration welding procedures capable of producing defect-free, 4'' welds have been developed in the horizontal position. Beam oscillation conditions strongly influence welding performance. Defect-free, partial penetration welds have been made at vacuum pressures of up to 30 microns. Several 8'' thick, defect-free welds have been made in the horizontal position. Attempts to produce defect-free, partial penetration welds in the vertical position have been unsuccessful.

This final report describes a collaborative extension of an ongoing research program in low-energy x-ray and electron physics into particular areas of immediate need for the diagnostics of plasmas as involved in laser-produced fusion research. It has been for the continued support for one year of a post-doctoral research associate and for three student research assistants who have been applied to the following specific efforts: (1) the continuation of our research on the absolute characterization of x-ray photocathode systems for the 0.1 to 10 keV photon energy region. The research results were applied collaboratively to the design, construction and calibration of photocathodes for time-resolved detection with the XRD and the streak and framing cameras; (2) the design, construction and absolute calibration of optimized, bolt-on spectrographs for the absolute measurement of laser-produced plasma spectra.

Electrons are elementary particles of atoms that revolve around and outside the nucleus and have a negative charge. This booklet discusses how electrons relate to electricity, some applications of electrons, electrons as waves, electrons in atoms and solids, the electron microscope, among other things.

The ICRU has previously published reports dealing with Dose Specification for Reporting External Beam Therapy with Photons and Electrons (ICRU Report 29, ICRU, 1978), Dose Specification for Reporting External Beam Therapy (ICRU Report 50, ICRU, 1993) and Dose and Volume Specification for Reporting Intracavitary Therapy in Gynecology (ICRU Report 38, ICRU, 1985). The present report addresses the problem of absorbed dose specification for report interstitial therapy. Although specific to interstitial therapy, many of the concepts developed in this report are also applicable to certain other kinds of brachytherapy applications. In particular, special cases of intraluminal brachytherapy and plesio-brachytherapy via surface molds employing x or gamma emitters are addressed in this report.

Hard material technologies were surveyed to establish the hard electronic technology which offers superior characteristics under hard operational or environmental conditions as compared with conventional Si devices. The following technologies were separately surveyed: (1) The device and integration technologies of wide gap hard semiconductors such as SiC, diamond and nitride, (2) The technology of hard semiconductor devices for vacuum micro- electronics technology, and (3) The technology of hard new material devices for oxides. The formation technology of oxide thin films made remarkable progress after discovery of oxide superconductor materials, resulting in development of an atomic layer growth method and mist deposition method. This leading research is expected to solve such issues difficult to be easily realized by current Si technology as high-power, high-frequency and low-loss devices in power electronics, high temperature-proof and radiation-proof devices in ultimate electronics, and high-speed and dense- integrated devices in information electronics. 432 refs., 136 figs., 15 tabs.

The idea that multiple traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have a cumulative detrimental effect on functioning is widely accepted. Most research supporting this idea comes from athlete samples, and it is not known whether remote history of previous TBI affects functioning after subsequent TBI in community-based samples. This study investigates whether a previous history of TBI with loss of consciousness (LOC) is associated with worse health and functioning in a sample of individuals who require emergency department care for current TBI. Twenty-three percent of the 586 individuals with current TBI in the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury study reported having sustained a previous TBI with LOC. Individuals with previous TBI were more likely to be unemployed (χ(2)=17.86; p=0.000), report a variety of chronic medical and psychiatric conditions (4.75≤χ(2)≥24.16; pTBI history. Those with a previous TBI had less-severe acute injuries, but experienced worse outcomes at 6-month follow-up. Results of a series of regression analyses controlling for demographics and acute injury severity indicated that individuals with previous TBI reported more mood symptoms, more postconcussive symptoms, lower life satisfaction, and had slower processing speed and poorer verbal learning, compared to those with no previous TBI history. These findings suggest that history of TBI with LOC may have important implications for health and psychological functioning after TBI in community-based samples.

FROM - TO) xx-xx-2002 to xx-xx-2002 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Good Security Practices for Electronic Commerce , Including Electronic Data Interchange...Report 12/1/1993 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Good Security Practices for Electronic Commerce , Including Electronic Data Interchange 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6...Maximum 200 Words) Electronic commerce (EC) is the use of documents in electronic form, rather than paper, for carrying out functions of business or

We conducted in two parts a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on electronic symptom reporting between patients and providers to improve health care service quality. Part 1 reviewed the typology of patient groups, health service innovations, and research targets. Four innovation categories were identified: consultation support, monitoring with clinician support, self-management with clinician support, and therapy. To assess the methodological quality of the RCTs, and summarize effects and benefits from the methodologically best studies. We searched Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and IEEE Xplore for original studies presented in English-language articles between 1990 and November 2011. Risk of bias and feasibility were judged according to the Cochrane recommendation, and theoretical evidence and preclinical testing were evaluated according to the Framework for Design and Evaluation of Complex Interventions to Improve Health. Three authors assessed the risk of bias and two authors extracted the effect data independently. Disagreement regarding bias assessment, extraction, and interpretation of results were resolved by consensus discussions. Of 642 records identified, we included 32 articles representing 29 studies. No articles fulfilled all quality requirements. All interventions were feasible to implement in a real-life setting, and theoretical evidence was provided for almost all studies. However, preclinical testing was reported in only a third of the articles. We judged three-quarters of the articles to have low risk for random sequence allocation and approximately half of the articles to have low risk for the following biases: allocation concealment, incomplete outcome data, and selective reporting. Slightly more than one fifth of the articles were judged as low risk for blinding of outcome assessment. Only 1 article had low risk of bias for blinding of participants and personnel. We excluded 12

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Carefully selected cases of Vaginal Birth after Caesarean Section (VBAC is safe and successful. Even though options of elective caesarean section or a trial of labour are given to women with prior caesarean section, the risk is always present. In successful VBACs, morbidity is less compared to repeat caesarean section. That is why this study is conducted to determine the outcome of pregnancy in women with previous CS. OBJECTIVES 1. To evaluate the clinical course of labour in cases with previous caesarean section. 2. To study the perinatal outcome in cases with previous caesarean section either by vaginal delivery or repeat Caesarean section. 3. To study maternal morbidity in these cases. METHOD A retrospective analysis of medical records of 250 women with a previous caesarean section, who delivered in BIMS Hospital between May 2015 and July 2015 was carried out. Women with recurrent indications for caesarean section and those having nonrecurrent indications with any complicating factors in present pregnancy and women with previous two caesarean sections were not given trial for vaginal delivery. Those women with previous section for the non-recurrent indications were given trial for vaginal delivery. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Was done by Chi-square test. RESULT In 250 cases, 132 cases were given trial for vaginal delivery. In these, vaginal delivery was 61.3% and repeat section was 38%. There is an association between maternal morbidity and type of delivery. Birth weight was associated with the type of delivery. There is no association between neonatal outcome and type of delivery. CONCLUSION In carefully selected patients, appropriate timing and close supervision, trial of vaginal delivery in previous one caesarean section is safe and successful. Individual approach seems to be the best.

The DOE-supported IPP (Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention) Project, IPP-0110, and its accompanying 'add-on project' IPP-0110A, entitled 'High Energy Ion Technology of Interfacial Thin Film Coatings for Electronic, Optical and Industrial Applications' was a collaborative project involving the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) as the U.S. DOE lab; the US surface modification company, Phygen, Inc., as the US private company involved; and the High Current Electronics Institute (HCEI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Siberia, Russia, as the NIS Institute involved. Regular scientific research progress meetings were held to which personnel came from all participating partners. The meetings were held mostly at the Phygen facilities in Minneapolis, Minnesota (with Phygen as host) with meetings also held at Tomsk, Russia (HCEI as host), and at Berkeley, California (LBNL as host) In this way, good exposure of all researchers to the various different laboratories involved was attained. This report contains the Final Reports (final deliverables) from the Russian Institute, HCEI. The first part is that for IPP-0110A (the 'main part' of the overall project) and the second part is that for the add-on project IPP-0110A. These reports are detailed, and contain all aspects of all the research carried out. The project was successful in that all deliverables as specified in the proposals were successfully developed, tested, and delivered to Phygen. All of the plasma hardware was designed, made and tested at HCEI, and the performance was excellent. Some of the machine and performance parameters were certainly of 'world class'. The goals and requirements of the IPP Project were well satisfied. I would like to express my gratitude to the DOE IPP program for support of this project throughout its entire duration, and for the unparalleled opportunity thereby provided for all of the diverse participants in the project to join

In this report we describe the analysis status of electron-pion inelastic scattering $\\pi e \\to \\pi' e' \\gamma$ and $\\pi e \\to \\pi' e' \\pi^0$ reaction data, measured in inverse pion-electron scattering at 590 GeV/c at FNAL. The data give information on reactions that were never previously measured: (1) radiative width from a measurement of the transition form factor near zero momentum transfer, (2) $ \\pi e \\to e' \\pi' \\pi^0$ scattering near threshold for a determination of the chiral anomaly transition form factor and the $\\gamma field is Compton scattered on the pion, for a determination of the never previously measured generalized pion polarizabilities.

Destructive bone lesions occurring in patients who have previously had a malignancy are generally assumed to be a metastasis from that malignancy. We reviewed 60 patients with a previous history of malignancy, who presented with a solitary bone lesion that was subsequently found to be a new and different primary sarcoma of bone. These second malignancies occurred in three distinct groups of patients: (1) patients with original tumours well known to be associated with second malignancies (5%); (2) patients whose second malignancies were likely to be due to the previous treatment of their primary malignancy (40%); (3) patients in whom there was no clearly defined association between malignancies (55%). The purpose of this study is to emphasise the necessity for caution in assuming the diagnosis of a metastasis when a solitary bone lesion is identified following a prior malignancy. Inappropriate biopsy and treatment of primary bone sarcomas compromises limb salvage surgery and can affect patient mortality. PMID:18414590

Full Text Available Destructive bone lesions occurring in patients who have previously had a malignancy are generally assumed to be a metastasis from that malignancy. We reviewed 60 patients with a previous history of malignancy, who presented with a solitary bone lesion that was subsequently found to be a new and different primary sarcoma of bone. These second malignancies occurred in three distinct groups of patients: (1 patients with original tumours well known to be associated with second malignancies (5%; (2 patients whose second malignancies were likely to be due to the previous treatment of their primary malignancy (40%; (3 patients in whom there was no clearly defined association between malignancies (55%. The purpose of this study is to emphasise the necessity for caution in assuming the diagnosis of a metastasis when a solitary bone lesion is identified following a prior malignancy. Inappropriate biopsy and treatment of primary bone sarcomas compromises limb salvage surgery and can affect patient mortality.

Erlotinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor prescribed to patients with locally advanced or metastasized non-small cell lung carcinoma after failure of at least one earlier chemotherapy treatment. Approximately 75% of the patients treated with erlotinib develop acneiform skin rashes. A patient treated with erlotinib 3 months after finishing concomitant treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer is presented. Unexpectedly, the part of the skin that had been included in his previously radiotherapy field was completely spared from the erlotinib-induced acneiform skin rash. The exact mechanism of erlotinib-induced rash sparing in previously irradiated skin is unclear. The underlying mechanism of this phenomenon needs to be explored further, because the number of patients being treated with a combination of both therapeutic modalities is increasing. The therapeutic effect of erlotinib in the area of the previously irradiated lesion should be assessed. (orig.)

Full Text Available Introduction. Gossypiboma (GP is a term used to express the mass resulting from forgotten cotton sponge in operations. Rarely, a transmural migration may occur into the gastrointestinal lumen without creating any defect by GP. Laparotomy or endoscopic removal may be required, by the way it can be taken out of the body itself by intestinal ways. In this study, we reported a case of mechanical intestinal obstruction causing GP. Case. The fifty-one-year-old female patient admitted to the emergency department with the complaints of mechanical intestinal obstruction and had a history of open cholecystectomy 20 years ago. There were the findings of intestinal obstruction in abdominal plain radiography and computerized tomography. The sponge that obstructed the lumen completely 40 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve was identified in the laparotomy with the diagnosis of brid ileus. The small intestine was closed over double-fold after removal of sponge. Transmural migration of abdominal-remained sponge was thought to be occurred without creating a defect after cholecystectomy. Postoperatively, the patient was discharged without having any problems at 4th day of hospitalization. Conclusion. Although it is a rare situation in routine clinical practice, GP should be considered as a differential diagnosis in the patients who had a diagnosis of mechanical intestinal obstruction, and laparotomy was applied before. As GP may lead to situations which cause mortality, all precautions should be taken to prevent it.

There have been periodic electronic news media reports of potential bioterrorism-related incidents involving unknown substances (often referred to as "white powder") since the 2001 intentional dissemination of Bacillus anthracis through the U.S. Postal System. This study reviewed the number of unknown "white powder" incidents reported online by the electronic news media and compared them with unknown "white powder" incidents reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) during a 2-year period from June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2011. Results identified 297 electronic news media reports, 538 CDC reports, and 384 FBI reports of unknown "white powder." This study showed different unknown "white powder" incidents captured by each of the three sources. However, the authors could not determine the public health implications of this discordance.

Naturally occurring whistler mode emissions in the magnetosphere, are important since they are responsible for the acceleration of outer radiation belt electrons to relativistic energies and also for the scattering loss of these electrons into the atmosphere. Recently, we reported on the first laboratory experiment where whistler waves exhibiting fast frequency chirping have been artificially produced [1]. A beam of energetic electrons is launched into a cold plasma and excites both chirping whistler waves and broadband waves. Here we extend our previous analysis by comparing the properties of the broadband waves with linear theory.

Naturally occurring whistler mode emissions in the magnetosphere, are important since they are responsible for the acceleration of outer radiation belt electrons to relativistic energies and also for the scattering loss of these electrons into the atmosphere. Recently, we reported on the first laboratory experiment where whistler waves exhibiting fast frequency chirping have been artificially produced [1]. A beam of energetic electrons is launched into a cold plasma and excites both chirping whistler waves and broadband waves. Here we extend our previous analysis by comparing the properties of the broadband waves with linear theory.

Sponges often harbour a dense and diverse microbial community. Presently, a large discrepancy exists between the cultivable bacterial fraction from sponges and the community in its natural environment. Here, we aimed to acquire additional insights into cultivability of (previously uncultured)

Objective: To assess the time to spontaneous ongoing pregnancy after a previous miscarriage in subfertile couples. Design: A prospective cohort study. Setting: The study was conducted in 38 fertility centers in the Netherlands. Patient(s): Subfertile couples who miscarried after completing their bas

BACKGROUND: Abiraterone acetate, an androgen biosynthesis inhibitor, improves overall survival in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer after chemotherapy. We evaluated this agent in patients who had not received previous chemotherapy. METHODS: In this double-blind study, we

An oral cholecystography previously to celiac and mesenteric arteriography is performed, in order to identify the cystic artery, in 42 patients with pancreatitis, according Seldinger technique. The cystic artery was identified in all the cases, the pattern being the outlet of the cystic artery from the right hepatic artery. Infusion pump and seriography were not used.

An estimated 40% of the 1.3 million cesarean deliveries performed each year in the United States are repeat procedures. The appropriate clinical management approach for women with previous cesarean delivery remains challenging because options are limited. The risks and benefits of clinical management choices in the woman's health need to be quantified. Thus, we discuss the available published scientific data on (1) the short-term maternal outcomes of trial of labor after cesarean and elective repeat cesarean delivery, (2) the differences between outcomes for both, (3) the important factors that influence these outcomes, and (4) successful vs. unsuccessful vaginal birth after cesarean. For women with a previous cesarean delivery, a successful trial of labor offers several distinct, consistently reproducible advantages compared with elective repeat cesarean delivery, including fewer hysterectomies, fewer thromboembolic events, lower blood transfusion rates, and shorter hospital stay. However, when trial of labor after cesarean fails, emergency cesarean is associated with increased uterine rupture, hysterectomy, operative injury, blood transfusion, endometritis, and longer hospital stay. Care of women with a history of previous cesarean delivery involves a confluence of interactions between medical and nonmedical factors; however, the most important determinants of the short-term outcomes among these women are likely individualized counseling, accurate clinical diagnoses, and careful management during a trial of labor. We recommend a randomized controlled trial among women undergoing a TOLAC and a longitudinal cohort study among women with previous cesarean to evaluate adverse outcomes, with focused attention on both mother and the infant.

Around a third of oral bacteria cannot be grown using conventional bacteriological culture media. Community profiling targeting 16S rRNA and shotgun metagenomics methods have proved valuable in revealing the complexity of the oral bacterial community. Studies investigating the role of oral bacteria in health and disease require phenotypic characterizations that are possible only with live cultures. The aim of this study was to develop novel culture media and use an in vitro biofilm model to culture previously uncultured oral bacteria. Subgingival plaque samples collected from subjects with periodontitis were cultured on complex mucin-containing agar plates supplemented with proteose peptone (PPA), beef extract (BEA), or Gelysate (GA) as well as on fastidious anaerobe agar plus 5% horse blood (FAA). In vitro biofilms inoculated with the subgingival plaque samples and proteose peptone broth (PPB) as the growth medium were established using the Calgary biofilm device. Specific PCR primers were designed and validated for the previously uncultivated oral taxa Bacteroidetes bacteria HOT 365 and HOT 281, Lachnospiraceae bacteria HOT 100 and HOT 500, and Clostridiales bacterium HOT 093. All agar media were able to support the growth of 10 reference strains of oral bacteria. One previously uncultivated phylotype, Actinomyces sp. HOT 525, was cultivated on FAA. Of 93 previously uncultivated phylotypes found in the inocula, 26 were detected in in vitro-cultivated biofilms. Lachnospiraceae bacterium HOT 500 was successfully cultured from biofilm material harvested from PPA plates in coculture with Parvimonas micra or Veillonella dispar/parvula after colony hybridization-directed enrichment. The establishment of in vitro biofilms from oral inocula enables the cultivation of previously uncultured oral bacteria and provides source material for isolation in coculture.

Full Text Available Abstract Background Even though electronic prescribing systems are widely advocated as one of the most effective means of improving patient safety, they may also introduce new risks that are not immediately obvious. Through the study of specific incidents related to the processes involved in the administration of medication, we sought to find out if the prescribing system had unintended consequences in creating new errors. The focus of this study was a large acute hospital in the Midlands in the United Kingdom, which implemented a Prescribing, Information and Communication System (PICS. Methods This exploratory study was based on a survey of routinely collected medication incidents over five months. Data were independently reviewed by two of the investigators with a clinical pharmacology and nursing background respectively, and grouped into broad types: sociotechnical incidents (related to human interactions with the system and non-sociotechnical incidents. Sociotechnical incidents were distinguished from the others because they occurred at the point where the system and the professional intersected and would not have occurred in the absence of the system. The day of the week and time of day that an incident occurred were tested using univariable and multivariable analyses. We acknowledge the limitations of conducting analyses of data extracted from incident reports as it is widely recognised that most medication errors are not reported and may contain inaccurate data. Interpretation of results must therefore be tentative. Results Out of a total of 485 incidents, a modest 15% (n = 73 were distinguished as sociotechnical issues and thus may be unique to hospitals that have such systems in place. These incidents were further analysed and subdivided into categories in order to identify aspects of the context which gave rise to adverse situations and possible risks to patient safety. The analysis of sociotechnical incidents by time of day and day of

In this paper, we report newly derived integral cross sections (ICSs) for electron impact vibrational excitation of tetrahydrofuran (THF) at intermediate impact energies. These cross sections extend the currently available data from 20 to 50 eV. Further, they indicate that the previously recommended THF ICS set [Garland et al., Phys. Rev. A 88, 062712 (2013)] underestimated the strength of the electron-impact vibrational excitation processes. Thus, that recommended vibrational cross section set is revised to address those deficiencies. Electron swarm transport properties were calculated with the amended vibrational cross section set, to quantify the role of electron-driven vibrational excitation in describing the macroscopic swarm phenomena. Here, significant differences of up to 17% in the transport coefficients were observed between the calculations performed using the original and revised cross section sets for vibrational excitation.

Terror exposure has become commonplace in Israel, with civilians needing to develop appropriate coping mechanisms. This study investigated coping mechanisms of those who are able to return to leisure activity at sites of previous terror attacks. A specially designed questionnaire, exploring knowledge of the terror event, previous terror exposure, coping mechanisms, state of anxiety, and mood, was administered to 93 restaurant attendees at sites of well-known recent terror attacks (2001-2005). Most respondents were aware of the previous terror attack (92.3%) and most reported no fear at revisiting (70.3%), with 20.9% reporting some anxiety and 5.5% reporting moderate or severe anxiety. Sixty percent reported that they have no fear that a terror attack will reoccur at the same place. Some (27.7%) reported change in practices or decrease in one or more activity, especially use of public transport (18%). The most helpful reported resource for facilitating stress coping following a suicide bombing was to "call or be in touch with friends or relatives," and least helpful was "medicines." Over half of respondents (53%) reported that the current security climate affected their mood. Older individuals and females were more affected by terror events. Study observations confirm that resilience develops in the general population in response to ongoing terror attacks. Response to terror is heterogeneous with a range of coping mechanisms expressed.

BACKGROUND: Previous reviews show that reporting guidelines have improved the quality of trial reports in medicine, yet existing guidelines may not be fully suited for social and psychological intervention trials. OBJECTIVE/DESIGN: We conducted a two-part study that reviewed (1) reporting guidelines for and (2) the reporting quality of social and psychological intervention trials. DATA SOURCES: (1) To identify reporting guidelines, we systematically searched multiple electronic databases and ...

The brief review of the most significant and interesting achievements in electron cooling method, which took place during last two years, is presented. The description of the electron cooling facilities-storage rings and traps being in operation or under development-is given. The applications of the electron cooling method are considered. The following modern fields of the method development are discussed: crystalline beam formation, expansion into middle and high energy electron cooling (the Fermilab Recycler Electron Cooler, the BNL cooler-recuperator, cooling with circulating electron beam, the GSI project), electron cooling in traps, antihydrogen generation, electron cooling of positrons (the LEPTA project).

BACKGROUND: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a rare autosomal dominantly inherited connective tissue disorder with an estimated prevalence of 1:5,000. More than 1000 variants have been previouslyreported to be associated with MFS. However, the disease-causing effect of these variants may be questionable...... with regard to disease stratification based on these previouslyreported MFS-associated variants....

This is a final summary report of the research conducted under DE-FG03-01ER45946, which was a research program using metal nanostructures to examine quantum coherence of electrons in normal and ferromagnetic metals. This program was the PI's first federal research grant, and by augmenting with other funds (Packard Foundation), this grant supported two graduate students during its duration. In normal metal nanostructures, quantum coherence was assessed by two independent techniques: weak localization magnetoresistance, and time-dependent universal conductance fluctuations (TDUCF noise). This work found that, in AuPd nanowires, the coherence information inferred from these two techniques were quantitatively consistent, even in the presence of magnetic impurity and phonon scattering. This confirmed theoretical expectations. However, in Ag and Au wires, the two techniques disagree, with noise measurements indicating a lower coherence length at low temperatures than weak localization. We have a candidate explanation for this, and are finishing these experiments. This work shows that subtleties remain in our understanding of coherence processes even in normal metals, particularly those involving the tunneling two-level systems that produce low frequency noise; this has relevance for quantum information processing implementations using metal devices. We have also studied time-dependent universal conductance fluctuations in ferromagnetic metals for the first time. The TDUCF in ferromagnetic nanowires show that the Cooperon channel of coherent processes is suppressed in these correlated materials. Furthermore, the surprisingly steep temperature dependence of the noise suggests that decoherence in these systems is through a different process than in normal metals. We are finishing measurements of ``magnetofingerprint'' conductance fluctuations in ferromagnetic metals to examine this unusual temperature dependence with an independent technique. This program has